Since the late 1940s, archaeological finds from the area around Silifke, i.e. the ancient Seleucia on the Calycadnus, were collected at the Cumhuriyet Primary School in Silifke. From 1958, the school's warehouse was used as a museum. In the 1970s, construction began on a museum building on the outskirts of the city, to the east of the centre, by the D-400 road leading to Antalya and Mersin. Finally, the Archaeological Museum in Silifke was opened on August 2, 1973. The museum has two floors, with the sections devoted to archaeology and ethnography of the region.

The excavation finds range from the Neolithic period to the Ottoman Empire and come from the surrounding area of Silifke. The sites include Olba and Diocaesarea (Uzuncaburç), the Korycian Caves (Cennet ve Cehennem), Cambazlı, Aphrodisias in Cilicia (Yeşilovacık), Kelenderis (Aydıncık), Korasion (Atakent), Korykos (Kızkalesi), Meydancıkkale and Seleucia on the Calycadnus (Silifke) itself.

In the 1990s, the museum was involved in excavations on the Kilise Tepe settlement mound near the road to Mut. At Cilician Aphrodisias, near the present-day town of Yeşilovacık, the museum carried out emergency excavations on a group of rock tombs in 2002 due to the expansion of the highway to Anamur. Grave goods made of stone, glass and, above all, ceramics were dug up.

The Stone Artefacts Hall contains mainly stone works, statues, altars, steles, a sarcophagus and reliefs. The highlight of this collection is the 2nd century CE armoured emperor statue. This remarkable statue is 1.93 meters high, but has no head to enable the identification of the emperor depicted. The armour was crafted with great care. The lower edge of the armour depicts a lion, a ram head and vegetable reliefs, while the Medusa head is visible on the chest. Beneath it, there are two gryphons and an eagle with wings widely spread. Paludamentum (a cloak or cape fastened at one shoulder, worn by Roman military commanders) is gathered on the left shoulder and knotted with a brooch.

Other extraordinary exhibits are the remains of two caryatids come from Meydancıkkale. They belong to a mausoleum that was found beneath the castle hill there. It is from the 6th century BCE (the Archaic period).

The marble sarcophagus on display in this hall was found in Kelenderis (Aydıncık) excavations at the western necropolis in 2012. It dates back to the end of the 2nd or the beginning of the 3rd century CE. On the lid, which is in the shape of a bed, a man and his wife recline. Their faces were left unfinished. The scenes of the sides of the sarcophagus depict dancing cupids, while the fourth side, which is heavily damaged, shows the feet of a gryphon.

The other statues in this section include the depiction of Asklepios from the Roman period, the statues of men and women from the same era, the lion statues from late Roman-early Byzantine times, and the Roman sundial.

The Coins and Jewellery Hall is reserved for coins, ceramic, and glass artefacts. In addition to gold and silver ornaments, silver Persian jewellery, silver coins of Alexander the Great period, silver coins of the kings of Macedonia, Thrace, Pergamon, Egypt, bronze Roman coins, gold Byzantine coins, and Ottoman copper and gold coins are exhibited.

In 1980, a hoard from the Hellenistic period (330-30 BCE) with 5215 silver coins came to light on the slope of Meydancıkkale mountain and can be seen here. The collection is composed mainly of drachms and tetradrachms, with some octodrachms and decadrachms enriching its variety. It includes coins of Alexander the Great and from the time of the Diadochi, including Seleucus Nicator, Lysimachus, Demetrius, and Antigonos Gonatas as well as the Ptolemies and the kings of Pergamon. The hoard was uncovered in three terracotta pots during the excavations carried out by the French archaeological expedition led by Emmanuel Laroche.

In the same section, Roman period (193-268 CE) Ayvagediği treasure, Susanoğlu treasure of the Byzantine period, and more precisely from the reign of Emperor Justinian I are also of interest.

The Ethnographic Hall features folkloric artefacts, some of which are still produced and used by local people today. The collection consists of women’s clothing, such as bridal dress (bindalli), vest, cepken (Ottoman vest), üçetek (a three-panelled skirt). On display there are also complementary items: woollen socks, silver belts and belt buckles, bracelets, jewellery, purses, girths. Finally, everyday items and weapons are shown, including saddlebags, rifles and pistols, powder flasks, cartridge belts, and swords.

The large museum garden contains architectural fragments, including column capitals and drums, steles, friezes and inscription blocks, from Roman to Islamic times as well as sarcophagi and pithoi. There are also Ottoman period artefacts such as gravestones and fountain inscriptions.