Historical and archaeological Museum, located in Kerch, is one of the oldest museums in Ukraine. Officially the Museum was opened on 15 June 1826, the Initiator of the founding of the Kerch state Museum were made by I. Stempkovsky.

The basis of the collection of historical and archeological Museum was the private collection of the famous Kerch archaeologist P. Dubroca, regularly supplemented through continuous research of ancient and medieval monuments, conducted by P. Dubroca and his contemporaries and their followers.

From 1833 the Kerch Museum of antiquities was under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Archaeological Commission. One of his main tasks was not only the collection and storage of historical monuments, but also a search of the rare artifacts for the collections of the Hermitage. Research activities of the Museum played a very important role in the development of Russian archaeology.

Social catastrophes of the 20th century was not spared and the city of Kerch. But neither dashing years of anarchy or Civil war could not affect the existence of the Museum of antiquities. With the advent of Soviet power, he was transferred to the Commissariat of public education, after which his main focus was the cultural and educational activities.

In 1922, the Museum was awarded the title of archaeological, when he was transferred to one of the best buildings in the city – private mansion that is an architectural monument of the 19th century, once belonged to well-known tobacco manufacturer P. Masakado. Here the exposition is to this day.

Great losses to the Kerch Museum suffered during the great Patriotic war, were lost when almost all of the Museum's collection and archive. After the war, were set in order archaeological monuments, began to organize exhibitions and has created a new exhibition.

Today the exposition of the historical and archeological Museum presents two remarkable exhibitions: "history of the Bosporan Kingdom", opened in 2006 to 180-year anniversary of the Museum, and "Kerch area in the middle ages".