Founded in 1926 and housed in a modest building on Lenin Prospekt, the Regional Museum is the best single introduction to the Kola Peninsula. The natural history floor covers the unusual geology of the region — over a thousand mineral species, more than anywhere else of comparable size on earth — including spectacular blue eudialyte and apatite specimens from the Khibiny.
The upper floors deal with the indigenous Sami (Saami) peoples of the peninsula, the dramatic history of Russian polar exploration, and the city's wartime experience. Captions are mostly in Russian, but the displays are vivid enough to follow without translation. A small shop sells reproduction Sami crafts.