The museum was opened on May 8, 2000. Its collections include documents, paintings, applied arts, numismatic items, ethnographic exhibits, rare books, natural science objects, historical artifacts of technology, and photographs. A total of about 36,000 exhibits have been collected.

Annually, the museum is visited by up to 23,000 people. About 800 excursions, more than 300 interactive programs, around 200 intergenerational meetings and lessons of courage, as well as over 44 exhibitions from both its own collections and guest exhibits are held here.

The museum's exhibition includes the halls "Chronicle of the City," "Industry Hall," and "Hall of Military Glory." The city, known as the "pearl of the oil Volga region," was founded in 1956 due to the discovery of the unique Mukhanovskoye oil field. The museum serves as a center for studying, collecting, preserving, and popularizing the history of the city. In the Industry Hall, visitors can learn about the first oil wells, see minerals from Samara land, and get acquainted with the history of pioneering oil workers.

The main focus of the museum's work is the patriotic education of residents, especially the youth. The Council and the Museum Friends Club, consisting of 30 well-known activists, former leaders, and specialists in the city, actively participate in this. They conduct significant educational work with the youth, including intergenerational meetings, discussions, lessons of courage and memory, press conferences, guidance for graduates, excursions, and months of patriotic education.

The Museum of the History of the City of Otradny implements programs such as "Dignified Citizens of a Great Country," "The Whole Family in the Museum," and "Turning the Pages of Our History." A tourist and local history club "Prometheus" operates at the museum, created thanks to won grants. Club members have achieved seven grant victories and successes in regional tourism competitions and local history contests. The club is also actively engaged in environmental and nature conservation activities.