In a picturesque corner of the Urals lies the village of Mugai. One significant chapter in its history was the construction of the "Higher Urban 4-Class School," which influenced the fates of many generations of rural residents. The building, erected in 1911, is made of wood on a stone foundation and is adorned with elements of the "Art Nouveau" style. It is recognized as a "Monument of History and Culture from the late 19th and early 20th centuries." This building houses the "Museum of Folk Education and Library Affairs," which later became known as the Mugai Museum and Tourist Complex.

The history of the museum is closely intertwined with the history of the school. The first exhibits included stuffed birds and animals that inhabit the surrounding forests: a capercaillie, a black grouse with a hen, various breeds of ducks, and a squirrel.

Over time, the collection was supplemented with samples of local dyeing clays, a herbarium of medicinal and dyeing herbs, as well as unique finds: a skull of a prehistoric rhinoceros, bones, teeth, jaws, and a mammoth tusk. Initially, the museum was located in a corner of the physics classroom, but gradually expanded and moved through the classrooms. Thanks to the first director, Maria Petrovna, the museum was enriched with living exhibits, 42 species of houseplants, including a Mexican cactus, Pavlovsk lemons with golden fruits, ficuses, a ceiling-high palm, and asparagus. The school was literally immersed in greenery. It was the first school museum in the district, first in Makhnevsky, and then in Alapaevsky.