The Orsk Local History Museum, one of the largest in the Orenburg region, was founded at the initiative of geologist Joseph Leonovich Rudnitsky and opened on June 18, 1939. At the time of its opening, its collection included 2800 exhibits, including samples of ore and non-ore minerals, as well as precious and decorative stones.

During the Great Patriotic War, the museum temporarily ceased operations, and its exhibits were packed into boxes and stored in the basement of one of the schools. Only in 1947 did the museum resume collecting exhibits, and in 1950 it reopened to visitors in the building of a former cinema on K. Marx Street. In 1958, the museum moved to a new building at 46 Lenin Avenue, which allowed for the creation of permanent exhibitions dedicated to the pre-Soviet and Soviet periods.

On March 18, 2011, the museum reopened after reconstruction. As part of the municipal program "City, Museum of the 21st Century," a major overhaul of engineering systems was carried out, new equipment was purchased for staff, and modern exhibition equipment was installed. Throughout 2010, the permanent exhibition was completely updated, equipped with modern information technologies that allow for a more comprehensive presentation of the city's cultural heritage.