The article focuses on the formation of ethnocultural competence of future teachers with the help of museum pedagogy. The aim of the study is to determine the value of museum pedagogy for the formation of ethno-cultural competence of students in multicultural student environment of a Russian University. The main methods of research are theoretical analysis of the literature on the research problem, the analysis of results of questionnaire of students of the Mari state pedagogical University areas of training enrolled in a multicultural University. The paper shows the results of diagnostic work on ethnic and cultural competence of the students of Mari State University and the article envisages the components of ethnocultural competence: substantial, emotional and valuable, moral and patriotic components. The research covers the works of some German scientists of the XIXth century (A. Likhtvark, G. Freudenthal, G. Kerschensteiner) devoted to the influence of museum pedagogy on the rising generation. The paper analyses the significance of the museum of local lore and museum pedagogy in the formation of ethnocultural competence of future teachers. The article considers an important feature of museum pedagogy, that is to show and describe a museum exhibit and only then to reveal information about its history, define the methods of planning and teaching the class. Nowadays museum pedagogy is becoming quite efficient in the context of cooperation between the university and museum, creating pedagogically fruitful and structured cultural and educational space. As there is a huge variety of museums, a student can choose any museum that seems interesting to him, define the amount and contents of the information that he would like to get, choose the ways and time that he might spend watching museum exhibits. Museums should meet, develop and enrich the interests of students who will become teachers in the future.