The museum is located in an old mansion that was once part of an estate complex and is a typical example of Simbirsk architecture from the mid-19th century. The museum's exhibition includes seven halls. Urban planning plans, drawings, photographs, and sketches tell the story of the development and appearance of Simbirsk-Ulyanovsk from its founding in 1648 to the 1970s, including both preserved and long-lost buildings.

In the exhibition, you can see rare and authentic exhibits, such as models of the 17th-century Simbirsk Kremlin, the first regular city plan approved by Catherine II in 1780, the original of which is kept in the Historical Museum of St. Petersburg, a engraving by Makhaev depicting Simbirsk, and ceramic tiles made in the cells of the Spassky Women's Monastery.