Abstract: The study discusses the activities of the museum as an institution of socialization. Communication processes in the world lead to a change of the existing society and the formation of new communities. Contemporary museum as an educational institution has considerable resources to participate in this process. The features of the main stages of aimed socialization undertaken in the museum space are considered. This is the primary (baby) socialization that mostly has game character. The practice of such socialization is most common in the museums of art and ethnography profile. We study the practices of Russian museums in the sphere of secondary socialization that promotes the acquisition of skills of museum behavior, development of social and cultural norms. The new direction of museums activity is identified “adult” or tertiary socialization. Traditional and new segments of museum audience included in the process of socialization and re-socialization are considered. Abilities of museum in preservation of social and cultural continuity are realized by a specific museum language which is the main means of socializing. The various points of view of Russian museologists about the essence and content of the concept “museum language” indicating the lability of the term. Particular attention is paid to changes in respect to museum exhibit that enjoys a commanding position in the iconic museum systems.