Like many town museums, the Borken Museum is a product of the 'Heimatbewegung' (movement for the protection of regional identity) that was active during the Weimar period in Germany. Since its founding in 1929, the museum has been run under volunteer direction and has wondered to and fro. The museum was originally found in the former Commandry of the Order of St. John, then from 1966 it was housed on the first floor of the former Heilig Geist Kirche (Holy Ghost Church) until finally, in 1987 it was moved to the former Town Hall.

The first and second floor of the museum hold permanent exhibitions, displaying the history of the town. The standard of which is excellent and is a vast improvement on former exhibitions. During the last 14 years, volunteers have greatly enriched the town through their research into local history, museums didactic and improved exhibition design. This has lead to the overhauling and revamping of the permanent exhibitions.

Since the beginning of 2000, the town museum has been consciously striving to make its content more attractive and put more life into its exhibitions. This has been done by expanding its range of exhibitions. Under the banner of 'cultural centre', special exhibitions and displays of contemporary art have been widely promoted as well as lectures, literary readings etc.).

On top of all this, since October 2000 the museum also offers in cooperation with the Adult Education Centre, a range of interesting and partly unusual lectures, concerning the region's history, under the title 'History is More...' .

A fourth element to the expansion of the museum's cultural pamphlet is its volunteer support, since January 2001, of the 'Music & Small Art Live' event, where blues and jazz concerts, literary and political cabaret and text and music collages on historical themes are all presented to the public.

The objectives of the museum are to develop itself into the 'centre of culture' in Borken and to make a name for itself beyond the limits of the town. The museum's guiding thought of 'centre of culture' lends a symbolic statement to the newly designed museum emblem.