The Vietnam National Museum of History was established in 1958 and became the present museum in 2011 through the merger of the former National Museum of Vietnamese History and the National Museum of the Vietnamese Revolution. Its collections contain around 200,000 objects and historical materials, including nearly 110,000 antiques and numerous National Treasures.

The museum’s main building at 1 Trang Tien Street was originally the Louis Finot Museum, built between 1926 and 1932 for the École Française d’Extrême-Orient. Designed by Ernest Hébrard and Charles Batteur, the building is an important example of Indochinese architectural style, combining European design with Vietnamese and wider Asian architectural elements. 

The exhibitions cover Vietnam’s historical development from prehistory through the Nguyen Dynasty and into the modern period. Highlights include archaeological discoveries, Dong Son bronze artefacts, traditional Vietnamese ceramics, Champa sculptures, royal objects and collections connected with Vietnam’s revolutionary history and Ho Chi Minh. 

The museum currently operates permanent exhibitions at two locations: 1 Trang Tien Street, focusing on history from prehistory to 1945, and 216 Tran Quang Khai Street, presenting Vietnam’s history from the mid-19th century to the present. Together, they provide a comprehensive introduction to the historical and cultural development of Vietnam.