It operates an archaeological museum in Yanta District of Xi'an with a collection of more than 140,000 objects including bronzes, statues, pottery, porcelain, and books.

Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology was founded in September 1958 with the name of "Institute of archaeology, Shaanxi branch of Chinese Academy of Sciences".

[2] In 1963, the institute was under the jurisdiction of Shaanxi Provincial Academy of Social Sciences and was renamed "Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology" later.

[2] In October 1978, after the Cultural Revolution, The General Office of the CPC Shaanxi Provincial Committee approved the restoration of the Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology.

The institute is under the jurisdiction of Shaanxi Cultural Relics Bureau since 1984.