The museum is located in the former mansion of the head of the Simbirsk gendarmerie, M.P. von Bradke. In the early 20th century, the building was reconstructed according to the design of the famous Simbirsk architect, Auguste Shodé, and is itself a vivid example of the Art Nouveau style. This style, which came from Europe, blossomed in Russia with original motifs. The provincial Simbirsk enthusiastically embraced this new aesthetic wave, and soon the city developed its own Art Nouveau school, reflected in numerous magnificent buildings and interiors. The museum's exhibition features authentic works of decorative and applied art, furniture, porcelain, glass, book graphics, advertising, and costumes from the early 20th century.

The museum showcases the works of three architects who defined the architectural appearance of Simbirsk during the Art Nouveau era: Auguste Shodé, Fedor Livchak, and Feofan Volsov. The opening of the museum, dedicated to the architecture of Simbirsk at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, is linked to the fact that the Art Nouveau era was the last stage of the pre-revolutionary history of the city. This period is marked by the construction of significant architectural structures that still define the appearance of modern Ulyanovsk.