The museum has 17,172 unique exhibits related to the history of the region, ethnography, and archaeology. The main collection consists of 14,383 items. Among the most valuable collections of the museum in Aley are paintings by local artists, numismatics, ethnographic exhibits, as well as a unique collection of stones and minerals.

The museum was founded in 1982 at the initiative of the city's residents. Over the years, it has become a significant cultural center. In September 1999, the museum found a permanent home in the building of the former State Bank, which housed the Kharkov evacuation hospital during the Great Patriotic War. The museum's exhibitions cover the history of the city from the first settlements to the present day, telling about natural resources, the development of the railway, the history of local enterprises and institutions, as well as the development of Orthodoxy and the cultural traditions of the peoples of Russia, such as Russians, Germans, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Uzbeks, and others.