Created in 1889, it is the oldest museum in the country. It is located in a splendid building built in 1883, unique in its kind with its oriental, Moorish style (architect Tîganco). From its foundation the museum became an important scientific and cultural centre of Bessarabia, recognized in Europe. In 1931, it was enriched with a botanical garden, relating to the three types of vegetation zones of the country. In 1942 the garden received a pond with aquatic plants and animals from various regions, including the Danube Delta. A wooden pavilion dating from the 1889 agricultural exhibition still exists.

The museum's collections include more than 135,000 pieces, including geological, paleontological (paleobotanical and paleozoological pieces, complete skeleton of Deinotherium gigantissimum dating back 7 million years), botanical (herbaria, one of which dates back to the end of the 19th century), zoological (naturalized animals), archaeological (Paleolithic, Antiquity, Medieval), numismatic (14,000 items from Antiquity to the present day) and ethnographic (textiles, carpets, pottery, costumes, tools, folk crafts). The museum includes a room called "Casa Mare", reconstructing the main room of the traditional Moldavian house, decorated in a rustic style with hand-made carpets and other ornaments. One room is dedicated to traditions related to wedding ceremonies and another to folk costumes.