You'll want to browse the collections at Museum of the History of the Gulag, Museum of Fine Arts, and Museum of the City. You can watch performances at Sapaev Mari State Opera and Ballet Theatre, Mari El National Shketan Drama Theater, and Konstantinov Academic Russian Theatre if you're interested in local theater. Attractions like Republican Puppet Theatre, Yevseyev National Museum, and Tsarevokokshaisk Kremlin highlight Yoshkar-Ola's local culture.