One of the oldest and largest museums in Kazakhstan — the Regional Museum of Local History was established in 1883 on the initiative of political exiles-narodovoltsev.

The great poet Abay Kunanbayev, the philosopher and thinker Shakarim Kudaiberdiev, and the world-class writer Mukhtar Auezov contributed to the museum’s activities at various times. Throughout its history, the museum has changed its location eight times.

The scientific library has 34 thousand volumes of rare editions in its collection. Rare publications are kept here: dictionaries, reference books, scientific notes, works of scientists-researchers of Russia, Central Asia and China.