It is associated with the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya in Barcelona; the other institutions in this association are the Biblioteca Museu Víctor Balaguer (Vilanova i la Geltrú) and the Cau Ferrat (Sitges).

The museum is housed in an 18th-century neoclassical building designed by architect Ventura Rodríguez.

The museum opened for the first time to the public in 1905 as the Museu Biblioteca de Olot.

The Museum was re-established in 1982 as the Museu Comarcal de la Garrotxa following an agreement between the city government of Olot and the Generalitat of Catalonia.

The museum holds art by the brothers Joaquín Vayreda and Mariano Vayreda, Josep Berga i Boix, Xavier Nogués, Joaquín Mir, and Ramon Casas, and sculptures by Ramón Amadeu, Leonci Quera, Josep Clarà, and Miquel Blay.