The Musée des Arts du Cognac occupies a modern building in the historic quarter and covers the history of the cognac trade from the first distillations in the 17th century to the present global industry. The collections include antique alembic stills, cooperage tools, historical bottles and labels, and exhibition material on the role of Cognac in international trade — particularly the long commercial relationships with Britain and the United States.
A second floor covers the broader history and art of the Charente region. The museum is modest in size and takes about an hour to see. It provides good context for the distillery visits, which tend to focus on their own brand stories.