Opened on 15 December 1988 by the Emir of Bahrain Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the $30 million museum complex covers 27,800 sq meters and is the country's most popular tourist attraction.

[4] The complex contains six permanent exhibitions, an educational hall, a gift shop and a cafeteria, in addition to administrative offices, laboratories and warehouses for the Conservation of holdings and parking.

Re-designed by French architect Didier Blin, the revamped hall features newly installed multimedia as well as findings from the most recent archaeological excavations.

[10] The hall covers the Hellenic-influenced history of Bahrain from the 2nd century BC onwards as well as interactions with the Seleucid empire and Characene kingdom.

[11] Rare copies of the Qur'an dating back from the 13th and 14th centuries, notes on astronomy and historical documents and letters from the ruling Al Khalifa family are exhibited in the hall.

Aspects of everyday life such as childhood, marriage, fashion, local religious and medical practices, and the structure of a traditional Bahraini house are exhibited.