The eastern wing of the main factory administration, which houses the historical and local history museum, is recognized as a federal architectural monument. This two-story building in the style of late classicism was constructed in 1829-1830 according to the design of the famous Ural architect A. Z. Komarov, with construction overseen by district architect A. P. Chebotarev. In 1874 and 1887, architect K. A. Lutsenko conducted partial reconstruction of the building. This wing previously housed the archive of the Demidov factory administration, the first library of Nizhny Tagil, a laboratory, and for some time, the Museum of Natural History and Antiquities founded by P. N. Demidov in 1841. Since 1928, it has been home to the local history museum.

The local history museum was restored in 1924, with A. N. Slovtsov, a teacher at the mining and metallurgy technical school, becoming its director. The museum staff at that time conducted significant work in collecting and systematizing exhibits from both the former mining museum and new artifacts. In the following years, museum workers made a substantial contribution to the study of the region's history and the enrichment of collections, which became the foundation for the establishment of new museums within the museum-reserve opened in 1987.

The historical and local history museum, as a direct continuation of the Museum of Natural History and the Mining Museum, presents exhibitions featuring family portraits of the Demidovs created by renowned Russian and Western European artists, as well as famous Demidov rarities and advertising materials from Tagil factories of the 19th century. Additionally, the exhibition tells about the ancient settlement of the region, showcases unique wooden artifacts from the Gorbunov peat bog dating back up to five thousand years, and highlights the exploration of the Urals by the Russian population in the 16th-17th centuries.

The current exhibition, created in 1992, covers all significant stages of the region's development from ancient times to 1917. The second floor of the building is used for temporary exhibitions.