The Smolyan Historical Museum is the principal cultural institution of the Rhodope Mountains, housed in a purpose-built building near the town centre. The permanent collection covers the region's history from the Thracian period to the Bulgarian National Revival, with particular strength in ethnography: traditional costumes, metalwork, textiles, and tools from the various communities of the Rhodopes are well-documented and clearly displayed.
The archaeological section includes Bronze Age and Thracian artefacts from excavations across the region, and there is a dedicated section on the architectural heritage of the Rhodope villages. The museum is a genuine institution rather than a tourist attraction — it does serious research work on Rhodope culture and publishes academic papers — but it is also accessible to casual visitors, with explanatory panels in Bulgarian and English.