The museum was founded in 1939, but its development was halted during the war. In 1947, the Museum of the Norilsk Combine of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs was established, which created departments for geology, local lore, the history of the discovery of the Norilsk deposit, and the construction of the city. Initially, the museum remained closed, but in November 1948, it was decided to open a permanent exhibition for the general public. In 1960, the museum moved to a new building and became part of the House of Technology. In 1964, it lost its staff, and in 1965, it was closed.

In 1971, the museum was restored as the Museum of the Norilsk Combine. In 1984, it received the status of a state museum, which allowed for the activation of work on studying and presenting the true history of the Norilsk Combine. In 2000, the museum moved to a new building, where the exhibition "Norilsk Time" was opened.

In 2016, the museum was reorganized by merging with the Norilsk Art Gallery. It is now the main building of the Museum and Exhibition Complex "Norilsk Museum."