When the Historical Society was established in 1971, its primary function was to manage a small archival collection, provide information on local historic buildings, and house a very small collection of artifacts. In 1979, when the nearby Yahk Pioneer Park Museum declared bankruptcy and attempted to sell its collection at auction, the Historical Society obtained a court injunction to stop the sale and bought the collection. A stone house was purchased in 1980, extensive renovation work was carried out, and the Creston Museum opened its doors to the public on September 12, 1982. A storage building was built in 1986, and an open-fronted shed was built in 1995 to display and protect the larger objects in the collection. The Archives, formerly housed in a room at Town Hall, was moved into the storage building in 1994, and a climate-controlled, fire-proof vault was added in 2001.

Until 1996, the Historical Society depended on a community bingo hall and various other fundraising methods for its financial support. When the bingo hall closed, the Historical Society successfully went to referendum and obtained core funding through taxation. This enabled the Historical Society to hire a manager, the first full-time employee in an organisation that was previously run entirely by volunteers.

For a more in-depth history, click here.