The Museum of the History of the Resort City of Sochi, which was called the local history museum until 1980, was founded in 1920 and is one of the oldest cultural institutions in the city. Its establishment was made possible by the collection of the Sochi branch of the Caucasian Mountain Club, which operated in Sochi from 1902 to 1917.

From the mid-1920s until 1932, the museum faced serious difficulties: it had no permanent premises, collections were stored in boxes, and exhibitions had to be set up temporarily or relocated. Only in 1932 was the museum allocated a building on Ordzhonikidze Street, where it remained for over 60 years. In 2000, the museum moved to a new building, completely losing its permanent exhibition.

The museum's exhibition occupies 14 halls with a total area of over 700 square meters and reflects the history of the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus and the city of Sochi from ancient times to the present day. It is designed in such a way that authentic historical and cultural monuments take on primary importance. The artistic design of the exhibition is enhanced by various design techniques.

The museum's collections hold over 100,000 exhibits, and it attracts about 120,000 visitors annually through various forms of educational work.