The construction of Massandra Palace began in 1881 on the orders of Prince Semyon Mikhailovich Vorontsov. However, a year after the work started, the prince passed away, his widow went abroad, and construction was halted. Eight years later, the estate was acquired for Emperor Alexander III, who ordered the completion of the construction. But these plans were also doomed to fail: in the autumn of 1894, the emperor died without ever living in the palace, and work stopped again. It seemed that this place was cursed, as none of the owners managed to inhabit the house.

Nicholas II took on the task of finishing the castle. The interior featured solid pieces of marble and mahogany, and handmade chandeliers were placed in the halls. Nevertheless, Nicholas II rarely stayed overnight in this palace, mainly using it as a hunting lodge, possibly due to the place's bad reputation.

After the revolution, a sanatorium for tuberculosis patients was opened here. After the war, the building was occupied by a research institute for viticulture. Later, Massandra Palace became a state dacha. Since 1992, it has been functioning as a museum.