The Varazdin Municipal Museum was established upon the incentive by the Varazdin Museological Society, established in 1923. The opening ceremony was held on 16 November, 1925, and the Museum has been operative ever since.

The Museum was assigned the premises in "Stari grad" - a manor-house that used to seat feudal administration. This cultural monument of the highest category was built from 14th - 19th c., and has kept the appearance of a Renaissance fortification until the very present day. The fortification was built by the famous specialized engineer Domenico de Lalio and his associates. From the end of the 16th c. until 1925, Stari grad was owned by the counts of Erdödy, after which it came into the possession of the Varazdin municipality who then donated it to the Museum. The last thorough renovation of Stari grad was undertaken from 1983 - 1989, when the new Cultural and Historic Department collection on permanent display was opened on the premises.

Two of the Museum's departments currently have exhibitions on permanent display. The Cultural & Historical Department's collections are on display at the "Stari grad" fortification, while the Old & Contemporary Masters Gallery has, since 1994, had a renewed old masters collection on permanent display, presenting, in seven premises of the Prassinski-Sermage Baroque palace, paintings from the 15th until the end of the 19th c.

The Museum founder is the City of Varazdin. However, with regard to its six departments of different orientation, as well as to their pertaining programmes, the Museum's activity encompasses the entire Varazdin county territory.

Over more than seven decades of its continuous existence, the Varazdin Museum has won a number of citations - among which the City of Varazdin plaque in 1996. In 1994, it was the first Croatian museum nominated for the European Museum of the Year Award.