The Hungarian Museum of Architecture was founded in 1968, within the framework of the National Inspectorate of Monuments that existed at that time. It has been financed by the National Inspectorate of Monuments, and then that body’s legal successors.
The museum’s collections include materials related to architecture and architectural history, such as architectural drawings, models, paintings, photographs, motion pictures and audio materials, as well as written documents (personal records, correspondence and manuscripts), books and periodicals, pattern sheets, drawing tools, building elements and other objects primarily related to Hungary or with Hungarian connections. The collection is continuously growing through purchases and bequests.
There are outstanding works of art by Alajos Hauszmann, Imre Steindl, Ödön Lechner, Miksa Róth, Ernő Foerk, Gyula Sándy, Dénes Györgyi, Gyula Kaesz, Lajos Kozma, Farkas Molnár, József Fischer, Máté Major, Virgil Bierbauer (Borbíró), Gyula Rimanóczy, Károly Dávid Jr., Lajos Gádoros, Csaba Virág and Margit Pázmándi. Photographs by Mór Erdélyi, Károly Divald, József Pécsi, Olga Máté, Ferenc Haár, Ernő Bánó, Zoltán Seidner, Tivadar Kozelka, Lucien Hervé and Andrea Häider, amongst others, can be found in the collection.
The most significant part of the collection comes from the second half of the 19th century and in particular the first half of the 20th century.
The museum has never had its own exhibition space, but it still organizes numerous significant exhibitions in collaboration with Hungarian and foreign museums and galleries as well as issuing publications and catalogues. An example of this is the series of books entitled Lapis Angularis. Sources from the Collection of the Hungarian Museum of Architecture (1995–).
The Hungarian Museum of Architecture is a member of the International Confederation of Architectural Museums (ICAM) and Docomomo International.
Since November of 2017, the institution has operated as a part of the Hungarian Museum of Architecture and Monument Protection Documentation Center.