Museum of local lore of a name of S. N. Porshnyakov, located in the city of Borovichi, is one of the oldest museums of Novgorod region. In may 1918 a decision was made to his organization when the work of the Board County Department of public education. The establishment of the Museum took place in 1919. At the moment the bulk of the collection was presented to the Museum a real school in Borovichi. Originally the Museum was called "Borovichi Museum of proletarian art, industry and science name Repo".

The Museum exposition was opened in 1921. The basis for its creation was the collection of the Museum of a name of Gogol and Zhukovsky, which was organized in 1910. The Museum exposition is literally reproduced gradually passing a noble life, presenting books, furniture, paintings, and various local industry: wood, leather, textile, ceramic; the exposition was presented to the Department of nature.

In the period from 1927 to 1952 the Director of the Museum was Portnikov S. N. – grandson of privy councillor of St. Petersburg, the son of the famous Professor of medicine. In 1929 Portnikov was the author of the first local history exhibition. During the great Patriotic war Museum a small part of the funds were delivered to Kirov region. The exposition was recreated at the end of 1942. Since 1975, the Museum became a branch of the Novgorod state United Museum-reserve. In 1989, the opening of the second exhibition, written by L. V. Podobed, G. A. Alexandrov and M. N. Petri. In addition, in the same year, the Museum received the name Porshnyakov S. N.

During the 1990-ies in the Museum exposition has added new items and stands, in which consecrated the theme of the camp's No. 270 for internees and prisoners of war during 1942-1951. Here are the documents and photographs of the camp sections during the 1940-1950-ies, the schemes of location of burial for prisoners of war, and acts on the closure of the camp sections. All available exposure documents, or rather copies of them, were taken from the State archives of the Novgorod region. In addition, photographs were exhibited on the opening in 1993 of the memorial complex in the small village of EGL. The permanent exhibition also includes documentary sources that tell about the process of collectivization and persecution of the Church in the period 1920-1930-ies. To date, all materials are stored in Museum collections.

In the first years of its existence, the Museum of local lore has held a variety of areas. For example, after his next opening in 1928, the Museum received for their needs permanent space located on the street of October revolution. In the period from 1973 to 1978 the building for the Museum was rebuilt in the same place. Another building was given to the Museum in 1984, located on Dzerzhinsky street, where is located the Museum exhibition halls. After reconstruction was completed, it also housed the main Museum exhibition. In the old building, immediately after the repair, it was planned to do an art gallery, and exhibition halls. Since 2004 head of the Museum is Stolbova I. A.
At the present time, namely since 2010, Borovichi Museum of local lore of a name of S. N. Porshnyakov is located and conducts cultural activities in the new building on Dzerzhinsky street. Today the Museum exposition is presented in detail telling about the historical development of the region, which lasted until 1917. Today, Museum staff planned the creation of a new exposition telling about the historical development of the Soviet period of time. In 2011 the Museum was more than 20850 items.

During 2010-2011, the regional Museum actively participated in various international conferences. In addition, the Museum developed a methodical plan for teaching local history and history in more remote from the town of Borovichi schools.