The museum was opened on May 8, 1966, with its first exhibition titled "Dedicated to the Living and Fallen in the Battles Against Fascism." Its first director was artist Vasily Maksimovich Astakhov. In 1999, an archaeological museum was opened, which became a branch of the city museum.

Over time, new halls, exhibitions, and displays dedicated to the construction of the Stalingrad Chemical Plant and the city, as well as the restoration of industry in the post-war years, appeared in the museum. The museum's collection was enriched with various materials, documents, and household items.

In 1981, an exhibition dedicated to the poet Y. V. Smelyakov was opened, who was in Stalingrad in 1945 and 1947 as a prisoner. In the late 1980s, a combat vehicle BM-13-16 "Katyusha," which participated in the battles for the city, was installed in front of the museum.

In 2001, the museum received the status of a historical and art museum. It organizes more than 20 temporary exhibitions annually and showcases an extensive collection of artworks, including paintings by local artists, applied arts, antiques, numismatics, and much more.

The museum collects historical materials about the construction of "New Moscow," the city of Novomoskovsk, the war years, the difficulties of post-war recovery, and the further development of the city. Here, one can find information about enterprises, scientific and educational institutions, as well as about people who left their mark in the city's history, such as miners, chemists, builders, and rural workers.

A separate exhibition is dedicated to the poet Y. V. Smelyakov, who worked in Stalingrad in 1945 and 1946. It includes extensive photographic and documentary material, drafts of poems from the poet's Stalingrad period, personal belongings passed on by his widow, as well as books from students and friends with dedications.

The museum is not only a keeper of history but also a cultural center. It regularly hosts art exhibitions and presents displays of various kinds, from children's drawings to Tula samovars, herbariums, and unique collections of sea shells.

Since the 1980s, archaeological excavations have been conducted in the territory of Novomoskovsk and neighboring areas. Most of the exhibits for the archaeological museum were provided by Novomoskovsk archaeologists under the guidance of Oleg Zaidov.