The Central Slovak Museum began to write its history in 1889, when the town council in Banská Bystrica approved the establishment of the Municipal Museum.  In 1893, the City Museum was moved to the building next to Petermann’s Tower, which had previously served as the guardian of the castle tower.

An important milestone was 17 October 1909, when the first municipal museum exhibition was inaugurated in Matej’s house. The collection consisted of mineralogical, ethnographic, historical, cultural, industrial or numismatic exhibits and parts. Most of the foundations of the museum collections were formed by various donations, mainly from the townspeople and church dignitaries. After the Second World War, the museum’s exhibition was moved to the reconstructed Thurzo’s Mansion.

Nowadays, the Central Slovak Museum plays the role of a regional institution offering rich documentation of the development of society and nature in Central Slovakia. It consists of three expositions, namely Matej’s Mansion, Thurzo’s Mansion (both located in the center of the SNP Square in Banská Bystrica) and Tihányiovský’s Manor House (in the Radvaň district). The museum also carries out presentation and educational activities (such as creating exhibitions, organizing educational events, lectures, seminars) for the public and young people.