It is located in the historic building of the former Vicentino Asylum dating back to the 19th century.

This building was abandoned due to various historical events until it was renovated and adapted to house the museum in 2003.

The museum offers a journey through the history of the state, from its Huastec origins to the formation of present-day Tamaulipas.

It has eleven rooms with a large number of graphic elements, three-dimensional models, interactive manuals, and electronic displays.

The themes addressed in the rooms are: Room 1, Geographic Space and Origins of Indigenous Cultures. Room 2, Pre-Hispanic Horizons. Room 3, Huastec Culture. Room 4, Encounter and Confrontation of Two Worlds. Room 6, Nuevo Santander and the Novohispanic Northeast. Room 7, Colonial Capital Sites. Room 8, From Villa de Aguayo to Ciudad Victoria. Room 9, Transformations of Independent Life. Room 10, Formation of the Border and the Progressive Era of the Old Regime. And Room 11, Structural Bases of the 20th Century.

Additionally, the museum has a special focus on children and offers special services for teachers and researchers in paleontology, ecology and the environment, botanical diversity, mycology, and zoology.

Among the museum's services are areas for temporary exhibitions, gardens for outdoor talks and concerts, an auditorium with a capacity of 150 people, a library, a research center on natural resources, special publications, and guided tours.