As the first town in the province, Balmaseda boasts a long history tracing back to 1199. Thus it keeps a very extensible collection of artworks, books, public records and artefacts – all vivid testimonies to the past and traditions of town.

The museum opened in 2003 and is divided into six departments:

• The history of the municipality – the first in Biscay, founded in 1199.
• The most prominent local personalities of the past and present.
• Holy Week themes (a procession walks across town every year and culminates in a moving Crucifixion represented by a neighbour).
• Historical and cultural heritage.
• The foundations of local economy and traditions – carpentry, the hammering of copper, the making of berets, gastronomy (stews and local wines).
• The furniture from an aristocratic 19^th-century living room.