The museum, founded in 1961, is located on the second floor of the Ural cinema. The founder of the municipal budget institution "Ilek Local History Museum" is the Department of Culture of the Ilek District Administration in the Orenburg Region.

The museum's collection includes over 2,700 items in the main fund and 750 exhibits in the auxiliary fund. The exhibition area of the museum is 154 square meters. More than 6,000 people visit it annually. The museum has a branch in the village of Nizhneozernoe with an area of 104 square meters, and a branch is also opening in the village of Kardailovo with an area of 69.8 square meters.

To achieve its statutory goals, the museum engages in the following activities: preserving and studying the cultural heritage of the Ilek District, replenishing the museum fund, exhibiting collections and promoting cultural heritage, as well as cultural and educational work.