From the second half of the 10th century until 1918, it was part of the Kingdom of Hungary. The first recorded reference to Martin in written sources is dated to 1284 under the name of Vila Sancti Martini.

Museums

The historical centre of Martin is small. It spreads around the pedestrian zone next to the church of St. Martin and continues as far as the Memorandové námestie square with the Evangelical church. The dominant building of the Námestie SNP square is that of the former County House from 1740. It was thoroughly reconstructed in 1983 and now it houses the Turčianska galéria (Gallery of Turiec). It contains art works of the region from the Gothic period up to the present time.

In the former building of the first Slovak National Museum from 1908 which stands next the Národný dom (National House) is now the Turčianske múzeum Andreja Kmeťa (Andrej Kmeťs Museum of Turiec). It is the regional centre of homeland studies of the region. The second building of the Slovak National Museum at Malá hora is from 1932 and it houses the Ethnographic Museum.