The Chilean national history Museum is a public institution and is under the control of the Directorate of libraries, archives and museums. Its mission is to provide open access to the country's history through the collection, preservation, study and dissemination of the heritage of Chile.

In 1873, at the initiative of the mayor of Santiago Benjamin Vicuna Makenna was organized a temporary exhibition of ancient artifacts Exposición del Coloniaje, which was housed in the former residence of the Governor of Chile, at the present time this building housed a post office, the headquarters Mail de Chile. In 1874, based on the idea of creating a permanent historical Museum, this exhibition with a few additions moved into the castle in the district of Cerro Santa lucía de Santiago.

In the first decade of the twentieth century Director, National library Luis Montt Montt, has suggested a new historical exhibition. A new exhibition with a large collection of artifacts was opened in the mansion, located on the street Monjitas, between San Antonio and Mac-hivert, and made a splash. Then the organizers decided to turn to the government to create the National history Museum of Chile. Thanks to the efforts of Senator Figueroa Joaquin Larrain in may 1911 a petition for the opening of the Museum was signed by the President of the Republic of the Don Ramon Barros Luco.

Since 1982 the Museum is housed in the Palacio de La real in the Northern part of the Plaza de Armas, which was built by Juan josé de Goycolea Zanartu in the period 1804-1808. Previously the building was the headquarters of the Royal court, here was held the First national Congress in 1811, and from 1812 to 1814 was located the Government under the leadership of the Patriotic movement la Patria Vieja. During the Spanish Reconquista, the building again became to belong to a Royal court. In 1818, the Palace of the Royal court was officially named the seat of the government of Bernardo O'higgins and became known as the Independence Palace. This building housed the ministries and other state institutions and agencies. To preserve the building in 1969 it was declared a national monument of Chile and transferred to the National Museum of Chile, and restored in 1978-1982.

Currently the Museum collection are grouped as follows: collection of decorative arts and sculpture, the collection of folk art and crafts, a collection of paintings and prints, the collection of textiles and costumes, a collection of archaeology and Ethnography, a collection of tools and equipment, furniture collection, a collection of coins and medals, the collection of books and documents, collection of weapons, a collection of historical photographs. These collections come from different backgrounds - some were obtained from other museums, exhibitions and private collections, others were donated by various people since the beginning of the nineteenth century to the present.