With the aid of numerous explanatory panels the Museum describes the evolution of the area of Lombardy, sequentially from the Neolithic era to the Roman colonization.

The Neolithic 

The Neolithic itinerary opens with a collection of the technological innovations of the time. Chipped and polished stone tools found in Lombardy document the stone work from the 6th to the 4th millennium BC, a time when communities became sedentary, moving from a hunter gatherer economy to agriculture and raising livestock. This period also saw the beginnings of ceramic vessel production, as well as spinning and weaving. The characteristic black slip vases uncovered in the settlement of ​Lagozza di Besnate (Varese, first half of the 4th millennium BC), along with tools for spinning and weaving mark the last phase of the Neolithic period.

The Bronze Age

The itinerary then leads into the Bronze Age (in northern Italy, from 2200 to 900 BC), characterized by the production of copper and its alloys and the use of the plough and the wagon.
One showcase is dedicated to a number of hoards found in northern Italy. These were  underground stores of scrap metal, metal artefact and ore that were ready to be recycled by being melted down again. The other showcase illustrates the process of metallurgy with copper ingots found in the area of Cremona, as well as bellows and bronze artifacts such as pins, needles and a spearhead.
Completing the picture of technological expertise achieved in the Bronze Age are artifacts made of bone, horn and wood discovered in various parts Lombardy.

The museum continues with exhibits from the Late Bronze Age (12th to 10th century BC) and the early Iron Age. This period is documented by the Golasecca Culture in the areas of Golasecca-Sesto Calende-Castelletto Ticino, Como and Bellinzona.

From Golasecca Culture to Romanisation

Golasecca communities saw progressive urban migration during the 6th and 5th centuries BC and developed complex social stratification. From the 5th century they acted as commercial mediators between the Mediterranean and Celtic Europe, becoming very wealthy. This wealth was concentrated in the hands of an aristocratic elite, who were buried with grave goods of outstanding beauty, such as those found in Sesto Calende.

The itinerary ends with exhibits including bracelets, swords and some ceramics attesting to the presence of a Gallic population, through the spread of the La Tène Culture in Italy, and Romanisation (4th to 1st century BC).