The museum has exhibits of artifacts related to local history and prehistory, including photographs and musical instruments, and also holds possessions and memorabilia - including letters and journals - of David Livingstone, the explorer and missionary.

In 1956 the museum was a trustee, along with National Monuments Commission of Northern Rhodesia (a former name for Zambia) and the Wenner-Gren Foundation, of the excavation of the Kalambo Falls Prehistoric Site.

The second approach is 60 kilometres (37 mi) from Botswana involving crossing the border at Kazungula by ferry.

[13] An open archaeological site is located next to the museum next to the falls which has unearthed items from the early Stone Age to the present, covering some 250,000 years.

[14] Experts from the museum, such as Dr. J. Desmond Clark, once director, have provided an important contribution to research in the country.

The museum also has a large library of books on archaeology and wildlife and also some of the journals published by Livingston.

The papers provide substantial information on each of the large number of labelled exhibits systematically displayed in the museum.