[1][2] Construction of the fort, which follows a polygonal outline on the right bank of the River Tagus, was started in 1780 under the direction of General Guilherme de Vallerée.

[3] During the Portuguese Colonial War (1961 – 1975) the Fort of Bom Sucesso served as the headquarters of the Military Postal Service.

After the Carnation Revolution on 25 April 1974, which overthrew the authoritarian Estado Novo regime, it hosted the Command of the Military Intervention Group, a body set up by the Revolutionary Council to maintain law and order.

Later it was the headquarters of the Association of 25th of April, an organization that brought together the members of the military who initiated the Carnation Revolution.

It offers a permanent exhibition indoors, as well as three external areas with equipment related to the various branches of the Armed Forces.