For over 90 years, the main exhibition of the local history museum has been housed in the building of the former spiritual school. The main building of the museum contains departments of archaeology, history, art, and nature. With 25 exhibition halls, this is a significant reason to visit this museum.

The history of the Totma region dates back to ancient times. Permanent residents appeared here during the Mesolithic era, as confirmed by the settlements found by archaeologists. The museum's rich archaeological collections occupy three halls, where the fossil remains of ancient animals and a reconstruction of a primitive man's dwelling are of particular interest. There is an interactive area for children where they can feel like archaeologists and find various "artifacts of the past" in the sand.

On the second floor of the museum, there is a historical exhibition, with a hall dedicated to salt production in Totma. Salt, an important product and commodity, was extracted from brine that was raised from deep salt sources. For this, wells up to 90 meters deep were dug, and pipes were installed to lift the brine, which was then evaporated in large iron pans. In the hall, you can see part of the brine-lifting pipe, a unique monument of engineering art from Totma.

For a long time, the museum did not have halls dedicated to the 20th century in the history of Totma. Currently, the creation of this exhibition is being done in stages, and although the halls are already open, it is not yet possible to fully explore it.

Among visitors, there is great interest in the hall dedicated to the Peter the Great Craft School and its products. This school, which existed in Totma in the early 20th century, brought fame to the city as the "Russian Nuremberg," a center for toy crafts. Founded with the funds of merchant N.I. Tokarev, the school existed for a short time, but its products are so unique and valuable that they form a separate collection in the museum. Part of this collection is presented in the halls.

Several halls are dedicated to the work of the artist Feodosiy Vakhrushev, one of the most famous Totma masters. Vakhrushev studied under Ilya Repin and became renowned as a master capable of depicting landscapes, portraits, and still lifes with equal skill.

The nature department introduces guests to the flora and fauna of the Totma region. A special interest is generated by the children's room "Discovering the Eco World," where children, while playing, study the surrounding world and the laws of nature in their native land.

In 2019, the paleontology hall "Sukhona Lizards" was opened.