The permanent exhibition at the Folk Life Museum focuses thematically on three areas – The Home, Dress and Beliefs. These themes are represented by everyday things particularly of the pre-industrial period.

The Folk Life Museum in Paulustorgasse, Graz is the oldest and most extensive folklore collection in the Joanneum Universal Museum. It was founded by Viktor Geramb in 1913, and following several years of modernization work, reopened in May 2003 with a modern design. In autumn 2008, the "entrée" was updated and individual changes were made to the presentation of contents.

The new scheme for the permanent exhibition focuses thematically for the most part on the key themes of the museum, which are grouped round basic needs of human existence such as THE HOME, DRESS and BELIEFS. It is always things that throw light on our cultural life. How such things can be interpreted, understood and used (or discarded) form the core of the new permanent exhibition, which occupies floor space of over 1,000 m2. Visitors respond to the things in their world with fascination, and a tour of the museum requires that response to involve all the senses.

As previously, individual historic structures from the early days of the museum are integrated spatially and thematically into the presentation. They include an original smoking room from West Styria and a folk costume room designed in the 1930s with 42 lifesize figures.

To conclude the museum tour, visitors can see into the church of St Antonius from the gallery for a good view of the early Baroque pictures by Pietro de Pomis and Hans Adam Weissenkircher.