Today's museum of the archaeological site of Kernavė has deep roots. Juozas Šiaučiūnas, head of the Kernavė primary school in 1930. opened one of the first regional museums in Lithuania - the regional museum in the school building. Together with the students, during educational expeditions, he explored the local surroundings, collected randomly found archaeological finds and ethnographic objects. Until 1940 the museum has accumulated 630 exhibits, most of which the teacher bought from local residents with his own funds. The teacher's initiative was also supported by the priest Nikodemas Švogžlys-Milžinas, known as an active local researcher, publicist, and a number of other enthusiastic patriots. However, in the merciless 1941 the teacher and his family were exiled. Separated from his wife and children, he died in 1943. In the Krasnoyarsk region, in Reshoti.
During the Hitler occupation, some of the museum's exhibits were lost, some were saved by teachers Sofija Jakštaitė and Juozas Rudzinskas, who in 1945 is appointed as the director of the museum. in 1948 the museum is moved to the premises of the nationalized rectory. In the museum exposition, the exhibits were divided by themes: Nature section, Archeology from the earliest times to the 15th century, Kernavė during the years of Soviet rule. In 1949-1958 the museum was headed by J. Grybauskas, in 1958-1961 - B. Valančiūtė, 1961-1963 - M. Zapareckaitė. Under her leadership, the museum exposition was filled with ethnographic exhibits from the Kernavė area. In 1960, the mounds of Kernavė and the Pajauta valley were declared a nature reserve. Since 1963, the museum has been operating on a public basis, and since 1965, the Kernavė Local History Museum has become a branch of the Trakai History Museum, which was headed by D. Kvieskienė. in 1968 a new exposition opens with four sections: Kernavė from the earliest times to the 19th century, 19th century manor culture exhibits, Peasant household in the 19th century. help - 20th century pr., a section devoted to the class struggle from the time of tsarism to 1940-1941. Since 1973 the museum was managed by J. Purvaneckienė.
in 1979 consistent archaeological research began, traces of the medieval city of Kernavė and many other archaeological objects were discovered. In order for this heritage to be properly studied and preserved, the government in 1989 establishes an independent State Museum-Reserve of Archeology and History of Kernavė. An archaeologist is appointed to lead. m. k. Vytautas Ušinskas.Until 1993, the museum operated in the building of the former rectory. After it was returned to its rightful owners, an exposition was opened in 1993 in one of the halls of the culture house, which contains extensive material from the prehistory of Kernavė to the 18th century, and a small exposition reflecting the 19th-20th centuries. the household of the first half of the Kernaviški family and the history of the museum's founding.
in 2002 June 20 The Kernavė Museum-Reserve was granted the status of the State Kernavė Cultural Reserve, and in 2004 The archaeological site of Kernavė is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The main purpose of the cultural reserve is to preserve the territorial complex of cultural heritage objects of Kernavė, the immovable and movable cultural values located on its territory, to organize their scientific research, to properly manage and promote them.
in 2012 The reconstructed modern museum of the Kernavė archaeological site opened its doors with a new exposition, presenting visitors with the most impressive archaeological finds found in Kernavė.
