The museum was founded in 1971 by the Pacificulture Foundation, which purchased "The Grace Nicholson Treasure House of Oriental Art" from the City of Pasadena.

[4] The building, which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, was built in 1926 and designed by the architectural firm of Marston, Van Pelt & Maybury.

It is designed in the style of a Chinese imperial palace and features a central courtyard with a garden, a small pool, and decorative carvings.

In 2024, the museum's exhibit "Another Beautiful Country" explored the work of Chinese American artists.

[9] It was curated by art historian Dr. Jenny Lin, a professor at the University of Southern California.