The museum is located in the George of Poděbrady square, in the historical building of the so called Mint, dating from the 15th century . The Lord Mayor’s office in this royal mining town on the banks of the gold bearing river Kocába was originally located in the building of the Mint. Several exhibitions feature the history of the mining and the processing of gold in the Nový Knín area from the oldest times up to the 20th century. They also provide information about the history of the town, about local industry and local crafts. There is also an exhibition about the history of the world gold panning championship in the Czech Republic and in other countries.

The first traces of man’s habitation in the Nový Knín region appeared in the earlier Stone Age. This is evidenced by the finds of two sharpened stone axes. The area was attractive due to the discovery of gold. This is evidenced by surviving traces of mining, by mining shafts and various archeological finds, some of which have been included in the local museum.