The old bishop's palace next to Grenoble Cathedral contains one of the city's more underrated museums, covering the history of the Dauphiné region from Roman times to the 19th century. The building itself is medieval, and the basement reveals the remains of a 4th-century baptistery — one of the earliest Christian baptisteries in France, where early converts were fully immersed in a large stone pool.
The museum's collection includes medieval religious art, 16th-century maps, and documents from the French Revolution. The famous "Day of the Tiles" — when Grenoble citizens rioted against royal troops in 1788, throwing tiles from their rooftops in an early act of defiance that presaged the Revolution — gets detailed coverage. Entry is free.