[1][additional citation(s) needed] The museum includes the palace itself, pieces of the monarchical past of Brazil, and a temporary exhibition hall dedicated to contemporary art.

In 1822, Emperor Pedro I, traveling to Vila Rica, Minas Gerais, to seek support for the movement of the independence of Brazil, was enchanted with the Atlantic Forest and the mild climate of the mountainous region.

A large contingent of European immigrants, mainly Germans, under the command of the engineer and superintendent of the Imperial Treasury, Major Julius Friedrich Koeler, was commissioned to raise the city, build the palace and colonize the region.

Constructed with resources from the Emperor's personal endowment, the building had the original design elaborated by Koeler himself and, after his death, was modified by Cristoforo Bonini, who added the granite portico to the central body.

To conclude the work, important architects linked to the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts were hired: Joaquim Cândido Guillobel and José Maria Jacinto Rebelo, with the collaboration of Manuel de Araújo Porto Alegre in the decoration.

When the foundation stone was laid, there was leveling of the area, which was known as "Morro da Santa Cruz", to start the works, all of which were financed by stewardship of the Imperial House, as Pedro II said, in his private property, one should not use state money.

The collection of the museum consists of pieces linked to the Brazilian monarchy, including furniture, documents, works of art and personal objects of members of the Imperial Family.

The Rare Works section features precious items such as 16th-19th century editions, periodicals, scores, illuminations, manuscripts, ex-libris, reports from Provinces and Ministries, and a collection of Laws of the Empire totaling about 8,000 volumes.

The section of books of foreign travelers that passed through Brazil in the 18th and 19th centuries is also important, documenting several aspects of social life and the Brazilian natural landscape of the time, with works by Jean-Baptiste Debret, Rugendas, Augustin Saint-Hilaire, Maria Graham, Henry Koster, Louis Agassiz, Charles Darwin, Spix and Martius.

Especially interesting is the gathering of photographs documenting the history and evolution of the urban and landscape aspects of the state of Rio de Janeiro and the city of Petrópolis.