Museum of History and Local Lore of Mary velayat has been founded in 1968 as Mary Historical and revolutionary museum. Its first exposition has been opened in 1974. In 1986 to Mary museum have been attached the Historical museum of Bairamaly city of and of Bairamaly oil plant, the Historical museum of Turkmengala etrap, the literary-memorial museum of the People’s poet of Turkmenistan Аtа Salyh of Murgab etrap and the Historical and archaeological museum Bairamaly etrap (property of Guljemal khan) and it has become united museum.

According to the decree of the President of Turkmenistan in 2010 for a museum had been erected a magnificent building. Its total area is 10 thousand square metres, from which 4 thousand square metres are intended for exposition. The inauguration of the new building of the museum has taken place on the 15th of February 2010 with the participation of the President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov. The exposition of a museum and showrooms are located on the ground and first floors. Here operate halls of archaeology, ethnography, fine arts, nature, hall of Revival and hall of temporary exhibitions. Many exhibits in the collection of Museum of History and Local Lore of Mary velayat are very rare. The finds revealed by archaeologists during excavation in the territory of Mary velayat latterly have great value from the scientific and cultural point of view.