The museum educates visitors about the social and industrial history of the site, which operated from 1894–1998 as a coffin furniture factory.

The museum opened in October 2014 after a fifteen-year campaign by the Birmingham Conservation Trust to save the factory building, which ceased trading in 1998, and raise the funds to transform it into a heritage attraction.

This specialisation was unsurprising, as not only did the production of coffin furnishings use similar manufacturing techniques and processes, but the funerary industry presented more opportunity for profit.

[1] During its years in operation, the factory produced some of the finest up-market coffin furniture in the world, used in the funerals of statesmen such as Sir Winston Churchill and Joseph Chamberlain as well as in funerals for members of the royal family, including George V, George VI, the Queen Mother and Princess Diana.

[3][2] The 1960s represented a peak in the company's success and the increased funding that this provided allowed for the partial modernisation of the factory site; the original 19th century single-storey range was demolished and replaced with a two-storey brick building containing managerial, electroplating, warehousing and barrelling facilities.

Whilst Newman Brothers did produce a single range of plastic handles, breastplates and lid motifs, they were generally unwilling to compromise their reputation as manufacturers of the highest quality goods.

The firm was reluctant to modernise and update their manufacturing processes and continued to produce high quality, cast brass coffin fittings until the company was forced to cease trading in 1998.

A£1.5 million grant secured in 2006 put the project back on track, and Birmingham Conservation Trust appointed a full professional team in 2007.

Building contractors Fairhurst Ward Abbotts, architects Rodney Melville and Partners and a wider professional team contracted by Birmingham Conservation Trust worked hard over the course of a year to transform Newman Brothers at the Coffin Works from a semi-derelict building into a visitor attraction and mixed-use development.