Most towns and cities have a central history museum or istoricheski muzei , (bigger centres will also have an archeological museum , arheoloshki muzei ), designed to showcase the achievements of the ancient Thracians, the medieval Bulgarian empires, and the struggles of the Bulgarian people to overcome Turkish oppression. The style is often didactic, relying on sequences of texts and photographs past which schoolchildren slowly file; English-language translations are extremely rare. In addition, presentation is old-fashioned, and budgetary problems often mean that museums aren't properly lit, but the wealth of Neolithic and Thracian artefacts make a visit worthwhile.

The same may be said of Bulgaria's outstanding ethnographic museums ( etnografski muzei ), where rural traditions are faithfully documented with an array of folk costumes and craft implements - although Bulgarian texts explaining their use are rare, and English-language translations virtually non-existent. Localities of particular ethnographic importance have been preserved, either whole or in part, as heritage villages or museum towns (old Plovdiv, Tryavna, Nesebâr and Sozopol are just four examples). Buildings falling within such an arhitekturen rezervat are carefully reconstructed according to traditional building methods, and the best examples of vernacular architecture are often opened to the public as a kâshta-muzei , or House-Museum .