The museum functions as an institution of memory, constructing images of the past and transmitting them to new generations. They are based on scientific ideas, social order and visitor requests, i.e. they differ from historical reality. This process is defined by the term “mediation”, which correlates with the concepts of “communication” and “interpretation”.Taking into account the specifics of the museum (historical, memorial, art), the features of mediation, the images of the past have their own differences and complement each other, constructing a unique image of the place. A special role in this process is played by local history museums aimed at comprehensive modeling and presentation of the local past.The image of the local history created by historical museums is reflected in the exposition and has some specifics. It has a space-time dimension, often supplemented by “action” (interactivity), and is also characterized by abstractness and conventionality, which is directly related to the language of description (scientific and / or literary). The current trend is characterized by active visualization and mythologization of the historical image, which is especially typical for museums in small towns.The article is based on the materials of a historical and sociological survey of 12 small towns in Russia using interview, observation, mind map methods (RSF grant No. 21-18-00418 “Museum of a small town. Tthe multiplicity of cultures of memory”). The program included the study of not only museums (state, municipal, school, home, folk, private), but also archives, libraries, media, i.e. all institutions of memory. Such an integrated approach made it possible to clarify the specifics of the museum “genre” of memorization.