The N.M. Rubtsov Museum was opened on March 19, 1998, in the A.S. Pushkin Library, a branch of the Central Library System of Dzerzhinsk. The idea of creating the museum belonged to representatives of the city’s intelligentsia and members of the Union of Writers of Russia. An important role in this process was played by Alexander Sizov, a native of the Varnavinsky district and a classmate of N. Rubtsov at the Gorky Literary Institute. The project also involved bibliophiles, collectors of literary rarities, and artists. The museum's design was developed by artist A. Alabin, who created a portrait of the poet recognized as one of the best. The founder of the museum is considered to be V.A. Postnov, the former head of the culture department of the Dzerzhinsk administration and a literature teacher.

The museum's exhibition began with a small private collection from locksmith D.A. Shiryayev of PO 'Zarya'. Currently, the museum's fund consists of 1500 storage units, and its collection continues to grow. The museum occupies two rooms: one features an exhibition dedicated to the life and work of N.M. Rubtsov, while the other showcases the museum's collaboration with Russian libraries and museums associated with the poet's name.