The Old Vladimir Museum is located in a former water tower near the Golden Gate. The water tower itself is also an architectural monument. It was built in the 60s of the 19th century, when it became necessary to lay a city water supply system.
The tower was built on the Kozlov earth defensive rampart, as it was the highest point of Vladimir. The tower was built of red brick in the old Russian style in the form of a cistern (oval), expanding upwards. The tower was used for about a hundred years as Water Tower, but in 1950, it was replaced by a new water supply system. In 1967, it was given the status of a monument of urban construction, and in 1971, the Museum "Old Vladimir" was opened here.
On three floors of the Museum you can see exhibits and photos dedicated to the life of Vladimir in the 19th and early 20th centuries. On the top floor of the tower, where a water tank took place, now there is an observation deck, where you can see the Assumption Cathedral, many churches of Vladimir, as well as the Klyazma river valley.
The Museum`s expositions were created in the style of "everyday Vladimir life". The idea of museum to tell about the life of various classes: middle-class, merchant, official, and Church. Here you can see how the icon shop, merchant shop, pub, and other places looked like. It is very interesting to look at the room of the prison warden of the famous Vladimir Central prison.
Of particular interest is the newspaper of marriage announcements of the early 20th century, where you can read how people of that time tried to arrange their personal lives. No less interesting is another exhibit: a Medical ticket issued by the police to a prostitute (1889), where doctors made their marks about medical checkup.
