The opening of the museum took place in 1940 and was timed to the 95th anniversary of the birth of the writer and poet Abay Kunanbayev.

The museum’s collection includes 13 thousand exhibits, presented in 7 thematic halls.

The exhibition includes archival documents, Abai’s autographs, the handwritten heritage of Abai’s contemporaries, photographs, rare books, periodicals of Abai’s time, works of fine art, ethnographic exhibits transferred by Abai in 1885 to the Museum of Local lore, Abai’s personal belongings, works of the successors of Abai’s literary traditions, and their translations into the languages of the peoples of the world.