The exhibits in the Museum depict the growth and development of East Liverpool and its ceramic industry from 1840 to 1930, the period during which the city's potteries produced over fifty percent of America's entire ceramics output. Through the skillful use of photographs, ceramic and other artifacts and life-size dioramas, the exhibits vividly portray the products and day-to-day life of one of Ohio's most fascinating cities.

The Museum of Ceramics is locally managed by the Museum of Ceramics Foundation.

'The Museum of Ceramics opened in 1980 to preserve the rich heritage of the ceramics industry of the East Liverpool, Ohio area. In the late 19th and early 20th century, East Liverpool produced over 50% of the nation's ceramic output. More than 200 potteries operated in the East Liverpool area, starting with the first pottery in the 1840s. The museum contains the largest public display of Lotus Ware, the award-winning fine porcelain produced by Knowles Taylor & Knowles pottery in the 1890s. The lower floor of the museum contains life-sized dioramas depicting life in the potteries in the late-19th century. A 35-minute multi-media shows reviews the history of the pottery industry in the Ohio River Valley