The Historical Museum occupies the former home of the writer Abbas Qulu Ağa Bakıxanov, a 19th-century Azerbaijani intellectual who lived here during the early Russian period and wrote one of the first histories of Azerbaijan. The building is a fine example of late khanate domestic architecture, and the upper floor has views over the Kudyal river.
The museum covers Quba's history from the khanate period through Soviet times, with exhibits on carpet weaving, local crafts, the apple trade, and the town's architectural heritage. Labelling is largely in Azerbaijani and Russian but the staff can usually manage basic explanations in English for determined visitors.