The museum was the home of the writer James Norman Hall, his Tahitian wife Sarah Teraureia Winchester, and their children.

By the mid-1990s, the house was a ruin, however, Hall's daughter Nancy then worked with the French Polynesian government to restore the home to its 1951 condition.

[5] "The house itself is neither large nor prepossessing; it was built for comfort and practicality," wrote author and screenwriter Peter Benchley.

"It's what's inside the house that I found most fascinating: paintings, photographs, artefacts and anecdotes from Hall's preliterary life.

"[2] In 2018, the Minister of Tourism, Nicole Bouteau, alongside Nancy Rutgers-Hall, opened a new terraced area at the museum, which expanded its capacity for catering and conference provision.