1858 is usually considered the beginning of a new era in the history of Tsaritsyno. It was the time that the land here began to be leased for summer cottage (dacha) construction. The rapid development and popularity of Tsaritsyno’s dachas was facilitated by the opening of Moscow-Kursk railway.

There were many famous, brilliant people among Tsaritsyno summer residents and their guests. “Tsaritsyno’s Dachas” exhibition took ten years to get ready. Researchers looked for descendants of Tsaritsyno summer residents, negotiated the transfer of negatives, photographic prints, diaries and household items to the museum. Apart from 320 unique items of “Tsaritsyno’s Dachas” exhibition there are over 200 photographs, most of which are displayed for the first time. Later the exposition was replenished with more than 60 new items – furniture, bronze, household items, toiletries, books, and other print media including postcards with views of Tsaritsyno at the beginning of the 20th century, which were recently acquired for the museum’s collection.

The Third Cavalry Building itself, one of the best Tsaritsyno buildings designed by Vasily Bazhenov (1776–1779), is also a part of the exhibition. In the second half of the 19th century it was turned into a summer cottage, and a large family of a prominent entrepreneur and philanthropist Ivan Davydov used to spend summer months here until 1918.