Its main focus is on archaeology, mineralogy, arts, history, and ethnography.

The museum was founded in 1899 under the name Borsod-Miskolcz Museum (Borsod is the historical county whose capital is Miskolc, and Miskolcz is an archaic spelling of the name of the city.)

The museum took the name of the famous polymath Ottó Herman in 1953.

Since 1963, it collects artifacts not only from Miskolc and Borsod, but from the whole unified Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county.

The main building on Görgey street was built in 1952; it holds the arts museum, library, and storerooms.