Conceived in 1860 and inaugurated in 1887, it is dedicated to the history and folklore of the City of Brussels from its foundation into modern times, which it presents through paintings, sculptures, tapestries, engravings, photos and models, including a notable scale-representation of the town during the Middle Ages.

[2][3][4] This building, erected between 1504 and 1536, was rebuilt in the 19th century in its current neo-Gothic style by the architect Victor Jamaer [fr].

[7][8][9] Brussels' Town Hall was erected in stages, between 1401 and 1455, on the south side of the Grand-Place/Grote Markt, transforming the square into the seat of municipal power.

[3] To counter this, from 1504 to 1536, the Duke of Brabant ordered the construction of a large Flamboyant edifice across from the city hall to house his administrative services.

[11] During Charles' reign, the building was completely redone by his court architect Antoon II Keldermans [nl] in a late Gothic style very similar to the contemporary design, although without towers or galleries.

[2] In the late 18th century, the building served as a Maison du Peuple/Volkshuis ("House of the People") during the occupation of Brussels by French Revolutionaries.

The new owner rented it for the most diverse uses: from a court, to a temporary prison, a storage space for the British cavalry after the Battle of Waterloo, a rehearsal room of the School of Dance of the Theatre of La Monnaie, and a library.

In 1864, a new fountain made by the sculptor Charles-Auguste Fraikin was installed, topped with statues of the Counts of Egmont and Horn, on the site of their execution.

Under the impulse of the city's then-mayor, Charles Buls, it was reconstructed once again between 1874 and 1896, in its current neo-Gothic form, by the architect Victor Jamaer [fr], in the style of his mentor Eugène Viollet-le-Duc.