The surviving building is the remains of the infirmary of the friary, built of dressed stone and brick and dating from c.1230, with mid-19th-century additions.

[2] Building of the Friary was started in 1237 on land donated to the Franciscan order and was completed by the 1280s.

In September 1993 the museum's use of Greyfriars changed with the building becoming a venue for annually changing exhibitions while its main collections underwent a programme of conservation and research in expectation of a new home being built.

[citation needed] In 2005, The Collection opened on a new site on Danesgate, adjacent to the Usher Gallery, with the two being jointly managed as a cultural centre for art and archaeology.

[8] After closure the building was used for a period by the Central Library, but from 2008 has been left vacant, apart from occasional use for contemporary art exhibitions and installations.