The Starooskolsky Local History Museum is one of the oldest cultural institutions in the Belgorod region and is closely linked to the history of the city. In late February 1923, the Proletarian Club opened in Stary Oskol, where various circles operated, including a local history group. The Starooskolsky branch of the provincial society of local history was established at the club, and on April 11, a decision was made to open a local history museum in Stary Oskol.

The first director of the museum was Nikolai Mikhailovich Rozhdestvensky, a well-known educator and local historian. The residents of the city actively supported the creation of the museum, and exhibits began to arrive on a voluntary basis. They brought traditional crafts, old books, household items, and finds from different historical eras.

The most difficult period for the museum was during the Great Patriotic War. During the years of occupation, the city suffered significant damage, and the museum lost almost all of its collections. However, after the city was liberated, it was decided to revive the museum. On May 1, 1943, Alexander Ivanovich Efano was appointed as the director, and on May 16, Nikolai Mikhailovich Rozhdestvensky became the senior researcher. By April 20, 1945, 2,400 exhibits had been collected, and about 10,000 people visited the reopened exhibitions.

In the post-war decades, the museum significantly expanded its collections and staff of researchers. From 1966 to 1995, it was located on the first floor of a residential building on Lenin Street. In 1995, by the decree of the head of the local government I. A. Gusarov, the museum moved to a building that is a monument of history and architecture, the house of merchant Likushin.

The museum is engaged in the preservation, study, and popularization of monuments of history, culture, and the human environment. Its main tasks include identifying and assembling collections, their storage, study, and publication, as well as educational and outreach activities. The museum actively participates in the socio-political and social life of the city. Its collections number over 40,000 exhibits, allowing for a comprehensive reflection of the history and culture of the region from ancient times to the present day.

The collections are displayed in seven permanently operating exhibition halls, and exhibition activities are actively conducted. The museum has two structural subdivisions: the House-Museum of V. Ya. Yeroshchenko in the village of Obukhivka and the museum of the village of Znamenka.