[1] The history of the museum starts with the local sardana societies: the Foment de la sardane from Céret, led by Roger Raynal and Joseph Burch, the Fédération sardaniste du Roussillon (FSR), a collective of sardana societies from Pyrénées-Orientales founded in 1976, and the Institut de musique populaire et méditerranéenne (Popular and mediterranean music institute, IMPEM), as well created by Roger Raynal and acting beyond the borders of the department.

On September 28, 1983, the town of Céret and the IMPEM signed an agreement to restore the former Saint-Peter hospital for future use by the sardana societies.

Led by Roger Raynal, its management includes representatives of both the town of Céret and the IMPEM.

[1] The museum is inaugurated on May 18, 2013 by Jean-Pierre Bel, president of the French senate.

These were collected over thirty years throughout the world by Heinz Stefan Herzka et Verena Nil and let to the town of Céret for the new museum.