This brick museum on the main road exhibits Thracian and Roman artefacts from Madara, Veliki Preslav and Pliska, along with ancient clay-pot burials and a re-creation of the Tomb of Smyadovo, a significant 4th-century-BC grave. The upper floor exhibits jewellery, 19th-century lanterns and fine work by Shumen's National Revival–era goldsmiths.
The museum's outdoor courtyard cafe, arranged around a fountain, is a very relaxing place to enjoy a drink – and altogether more charming than the generic cafes along the pedestrian street.