Originating from an exhibition at Capitan Boiso Lanza Air Base, the museum was founded on 8 August 1954 by Colonel (Av.)

The museum was moved a number of times in its early years, first to Air Base No.

1 in Carrasco and shortly thereafter to the Cilindro Municipal in downtown Montevideo.

[1] It became the Colonel Jaime Meregalli Aeronautical Museum on 17 March 1993.

[2] On 4 December 1997, the museum suffered a fire which damaged a number of aircraft in the collection.