The state Museum-preserve "Rostov Kremlin" was founded on October 28 (November 10), 1883.
The Museum is located on the territory of the architectural ensemble of the former Rostov Bishop's house (Rostov Kremlin), which was formed as a result of the construction activities of the Metropolitan of Rostov and Yaroslavl Jonah III (Sysoevich) in 1670-1680-ies.
The initiators of the Museum were made by the Rostov merchants, historians A. A. Titov and I. A. Shlyakov, Archbishop of Yaroslavl and Rostov Jonathan (Rudnev), Yaroslavl Governor V. D. Levshin, representatives of the Moscow archaeological society.
With the organization in 1959 of the Yaroslavl architectural and art Museum-preserve (Yaroslavl), Rostov Museum becomes its branch, and in 1969 acquires the status of an independent Museum-reserve. By the decree of the President of the Russian Federation from January 24, 1995 № 64 Museum-preserve "Rostov Kremlin" is included in the state arch of especially valuable objects of cultural heritage of the peoples of Russia.