The Al Ain Museum is the UAE's oldest national museum, founded in 1969 in a building next to Sultan bin Zayed Fort. The collection covers archaeology — strong on local Bronze Age finds from Hili — ethnography, traditional dress, weapons, and the early oil era. There are good displays on Bedouin life and the falaj irrigation system.
It is a small, traditional museum rather than a glossy modern space, which is part of its charm. Allow an hour. Combined ticket sometimes available with the adjacent fort.