This site was occupied by one of Moctezuma's palaces in pre-Hispanic times.

Specifically, this palace was called Tlillanalco or "Blackened House" because its walls were painted black. 

In 1522, Hernán Cortés ordered the demolition of Moctezuma's Palace and built a house. Years later, his son Martín sold the house to the king. 

The current building was constructed by Nicolás Pintado between 1731 and 1734, featuring a quarry and tezontle facade. The purpose of the construction was to house the machinery for minting circular coins with a cord.

This building gave its name to the street where it is located because it was here that the Royal Mint was established, operating there until 1850 when it was moved to Apartado Street. 

The building was expanded in 1772 by engineer Miguel Constansó. Numerous archaeological pieces were stored in the place starting from 1779, and in 1865, by decree of Emperor Maximilian, it became the public museum of Natural History, Archaeology, and History.

In 1928, it became the headquarters of the library of the Ministry of Finance, and in 1964, the pre-Hispanic collections were moved to the Museum of Anthropology and History.

The main facade and part of the building were restored from 1971 to 1976.

The exhibition presents pieces from various cultures around the world through its 16 rooms. There are pieces from Mediterranean cultures, the Middle East, Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, Japan, and Korea, among other places.

A beautiful 80-square-meter mural by Rufino Tamayo depicting the era of the Revolution stands out.

It also has an interesting library and conference room.