The Salzburg Museum was founded in 1834, when a small collection of military memorabilia was made accessible to the public to formalize the memories of the Napoleonic wars.

One year later, the folk culture collection opened a side-branch in the Monatsschlössl in the parks of Hellbrunn Palace.

Several objects disappeared from their bunkers during the US occupation, including a collection of gold coins that had been kept in the salt mines of Hallein.

A debate about the final and most worthy location for the headquarters of the Salzburg Museum lasted for decades.

By 1997, promoted by Landeshauptmann Franz Schausberger, local politicians had finally agreed on the Neue Residenz as a new venue for the Salzburg Museum.