Before the 1917 revolution, the building that now houses the museum belonged to the family of Ural artists Khudoyarovs. In 1982, the house was moved from Gorky Street, previously known as Beregovaya, to the territory of the ethnographic complex on Tagilskaya Street, 24. During this process, some fragments of the logs were replaced. In 1991, the Museum of Tray Craft was opened in this ancient house to revive and preserve the traditions of Nizhny Tagil and the Ural region. Later, the museum became part of the Nizhny Tagil museum association "Museum-Reserve 'Mountainous Ural.'"

The museum's collection includes unique works by masters of Tagil lacquer painting on metal, accumulated over 265 years. It showcases the life and creativity of the Khudoyarov dynasty and tells about the technologies of making and painting trays. The core of the collection consists of trays and household items from the Khudoyarov family. The exhibits were gathered thanks to donations from the residents of Nizhny Tagil, contributions from NTMK and other city enterprises, as well as targeted collections by museum staff. Today, the museum's exhibition reflects the history of the Tagil tray craft from the 18th century to the present day.

On the first floor of the museum, you can see original tools and devices for making metal products, finished items with artistic painting, and historical documents that contain information about the birth and development of the tray craft in Nizhny Tagil.

The second floor features exhibits related to the creativity of the Khudoyarov artists and the development of the tray craft from the mid-19th to the late 20th century. The exhibition, based on archival data and authentic exhibits, highlights the life and work of serf artists. Here, you can see painted metal products and samples of easel painting on metal and canvas.

The history of the craft in the 19th and 20th centuries is conveyed through products from those times. The museum also presents documentary materials about Tagil artels from the 1920s and 1930s.

The museum regularly holds master classes on tray painting.

The collection of lacquer painting on iron at the museum is of immense value to researchers, historians, art historians, and metal technologists. This unique collection is one of the largest in volume and diversity. The museum features works by renowned masters and products from "lacquer" workshops of the 18th and 20th centuries, such as Khudoyarovs, Perezolovs, Dubasnikovs, Golovanovs, and Obukhovs. The collection also includes the largest collection of works by A. V. Afanasyeva. The museum regularly organizes exhibitions dedicated to the Tagil tray, including solo exhibitions of contemporary authors.

Each year, about 1,000 trays are made for the Russian Expo Arms weapons exhibition as branded souvenir products.

The collection of the Tagil Tray Museum is constantly being replenished with new works by masters. An annual city competition-exhibition for decorative and applied arts called "Master of the Year" is held in Nizhny Tagil, and the best works of the winners are added to the museum's collection.