When the museum initially opened in 1809 it was housed in a church confiscated from the Récollets, before being transferred to the city's town hall. Its current building is typical of the monumental architecture of the late 19th-century.

Fully renovated in 1997, it includes  some noteworthy collections including European artwork, sculptures and various 17th and 18th-century ceramics. The museum also presents plans-reliefs (relief models) of 15 fortified towns in Northern France and Belgium, previously used by the French during battle.