It was founded by Professor Vinício Stein Campos on 11 August 1958, as a historical and pedagogical museum, and has been linked to the Secretariat of Public Security of the State of São Paulo since 1976.

It is located in the district of Bom Retiro, in São Paulo's capital, in the former headquarters of the Military Hospital of the Public Forces, a building designed by Ramos de Azevedo in 1896.

[3] Activities inherent to the museum's objectives are the organization of didactic exhibitions of the collection, the promotion of courses, lectures, symposia, and other cultural events related to the history of Brazilian military and police forces.

Cultural and educational activities include guided visits for museologists, teachers, students, senior citizens visitors, and institutional participation in lectures by museology professionals.

[2] The museum's current director is Colonel PM Galdino Vieira da Silva Neto, a museology specialist who took over the position in 2016.

This building is inserted in a complex of military buildings erected in the Bairro da Luz neighborhood, clustered around the former Permanentes Headquarters, the current headquarters of the 1st Shock Police Battalion (known as the "Tobias de Aguiar Battalion"), also designed by Ramos de Azevedo and built between 1887 and 1892.

Designed in an eclectic style, with clear reminiscences of military architecture, the building has large windows and doors made with Scots pine, a ceiling height of over 14 feet (4.3 meters), a Carrara marble staircase, French stained glass windows, and Portuguese cement tiles.

armory (cold weapons and firearms), medals, decorations, command insignia, furniture, flags, pennants, banners, sports trophies, campaign materials, communication and war operation equipment, maps, photographs, historical documents, etc.