he attempts to preserve the cultural and historical heritage of Montana and the region start in the first decades of 20-th century. With a letter from september the 15-th, 1915, the director of the National museum in Sofia, notifies the mayor of Ferdinand for temporary suspension of the excavations in the sites “Kaleto” and “Izvora”. This is crucial for the exploration of the relics found in the uncovered Roman sanctuary. The collected “archeological antiques” are stored in the Archeological museum – Sofia.
     In 1937 an archeological union “Montanesium” is founded by the local intelligence, with a purpose to find and store all archeological antiques, monuments and objects with historical value in the town and fit out a museum for them. Unfortunately the Ferdinand’s municipal authorities were unable to provide funds for that initiative and valuable historical monuments start moving to the National museum in Sofia.
     The historical museum in Montana is founded in 1953. Two years later the house – museum “Christo Michailov” is founded in the memory of the revolutionist – patron of the town by that time. For nearly five decades a tremendous amount of work is done for collecting, scientific research and making popular the historical evidences. From 1968 to 1994 continuous archeological excavations are carried out. The researches do not only provide new evidences for the development of the town through the Roman age, but they also report for settlers life in the present town’s area from the stone-copper age to the end of the Second Bulgarian Kingdom in 14-th century.
     Researches of the material and the spiritual life on the territory of Montana are carried out through the years. These days the museum has rich collections of movable cultural monuments. The following departments have been formed: “Archeology”, “Ethnography”, “History of Bulgaria XV – XIX century”, “Modern History”, “Latest History”, “Funds”, “Public relations and advertising”, “Immovable historical monuments”.
     The efforts of the experts are directed towards studying the prehistoric, ancient and the Middle ages of the region, the economic and demographic processes during 18-th and 19-th century, the political and culture life in the recent times.
     The museum owns a workshop for restoring and preserving of antiques, which serves the museum collections of the entire region. There are 621 registered immovable historical monuments of national and local value, which are subject of continuous maintenance.
     For its 50 years of existence the museum turned to be an important institution in the town of Montana and the whole region.