The Papiermuseum is also called the Swiss Museum for Paper, Writing and Printing, it is a working museum which means the site is still fully functional as a paper mill and is used for workshops as well as being the site of exhibitions about the technical side and history of paper milling in Basel. The cultural heritage is preserved as professionals produce paper before your eyes using the traditional methods and historical equipment. Visitors are also given the chance to make their own paper and to try typesetting and making decorative paper. The museum collection has at its core the Swiss Historical Paper Collection which was gathered from 1954 to 1979. The artifacts cover 400 years of paper mill history. The exhibits are focused on printing, writing and paper making but also cover book binding and the artisanal techniques of dipping paper.

 Twelve mill houses were operated in the 12^th century by water from a canal built by the convent of the Monastery of St. Alban. At first the mills were used to grind corn. In the late Middle Ages ten of these mills were converted to paper mills making it one of the most important industries in the area. Today the Stegreif Mill and Galiciean Mill house the museum; both these mills produced paper for 446 years up until 1924.