In 1919, at the initiative of the local intelligentsia, the Dmitriev Museum of Local Lore was established under the Department of Public Education. The first director was A. F. Vangenheim, an inspector of the Department of Public Education, who later organized and headed the hydrometeorological service of the USSR. Archive data reports that the museum was located in the building of the former diocesan office, which previously housed a church parish school and the apartments of the clergy. This two-story stone building was constructed by merchant N. I. Khobotov.

During the Great Patriotic War, the museum was not evacuated, and its premises were occupied by German soldiers. Documents, books, and archaeological finds were destroyed, and unique exhibits were looted. In 1946, the museum was restored and reopened to visitors. Its director became the famous children's writer M. M. Gorbovtsev, who won third prize in the All-Union competition in 1948 for his story "Mishkin's Childhood." In 1999, the museum was named after its founder A. F. Vangenheim, and in 2010 it became a branch of the Kursk Regional Local History Museum.

The museum's collections number about 25,000 storage units, and its exhibition area is 215 square meters. The museum's exhibition covers the history of the Dmitriev region from the 12th century to the present day. It details the development of Dmitriev from a small village to a large city in the Kursk province in the early 20th century. Important materials include those about the Prilepskaya manufactory, managed by landowner O. Briskorn, and the history of the Deryugin sugar factory, owned by Grand Duke Mikhail Romanov. Special attention is given to the partisan movement, as during the war, Dmitriev became a symbol of partisan glory. The pride of the museum is a section dedicated to cosmonautics, featuring exhibits donated by cosmonauts due to the cooperation between Dmitriev and Star City.

The museum also showcases works by the famous Russian artist A. M. Lyubimov, a student of I. E. Repin. The residents of Dmitriev take pride in their fellow countrymen: artists A. M. Lyubimov and S. S. Boym, singer I. N. Surzhikov, scientists A. F. Vangenheim, P. A. Minakov, D. S. Solovyov, and V. G. Rodin, as well as political and religious figures A. N. Volzhin, N. S. Khrushchev, and Theophan. On Dmitriev land, musicians the Vielgor brothers and writers M. M. Gorbovtsev and Yu. P. German created their works.