The National History Museum of Transylvania (MNIT) officially established on January 1, 1963, under the name of the Museum of History in Cluj, is the continuation of the museum activity carried out by two other Cluj cultural institutions: Transylvanian Museum Society (1859) and Institute of Classical Studies from King Ferdinand I University

Pthe assets of the Ardelean Museum Society grew year by year, through numerous private donations, as well as following archaeological excavations or acquisitions. Within just a few decades of its establishment, the association had impressive collections of numismatics and antiquities, books and documents, art, geology-mineralogy and natural sciences. 

In 1872, after the establishment of the Royal Hungarian University (since 1884: UniversityRoyal Hungarian Academy "Francis Joseph I") in Cluj, the Societatea Muzeului Ardelean made its entire collection available to her, without, however, relinquishing the right of ownership over them.

During the 1913th and XNUMXth centuries, the Numismatics and Antiquities Collection of the Ardelean Museum Society was housed in various buildings in Cluj, such as, for example, the villa of Count Imre Mikó (the present Zoology Museum in Hașdeu Park ), the old and then the new building of the Franz Joseph University, and then, from XNUMX, in the current headquarters of the National History Museum of Transylvania, the old building on Constantin Daicoviciu Street (formerly bastyAnd then General Gherescu).

After the First World War and the takeover of public institutions in Transylvania by the Romanian state, the collection of numismatics and antiquities of the Ardelean National Museum was taken over Institute of Archeology and Numismatics of the Romanian University of Cluj, inaugurated in the fall of 1919, later named, from 1927, King Ferdinand I University.

Between 1929 and 1940, the Numismatics and Antiquities Collection of the former Ardelan National Museum was under the care Museum of Antiquities from the side Institute of Classical Studies. It was established within the Romanian University of Cluj, in 1929. The heritage of the Museum of Antiquities has been enriched in all these years with valuable materials from the archaeological excavations in Costești, Grădiștea de Munte, Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa, Cășei, Bologa, etc.

Between the years 1940-1945, during the Hungarian administration, the museum collections were once again taken care of by the Transylvanian Museum Society, and after the end of the Second World War they returned to the Institute of Classical Studies, returned from its refuge in Sibiu.

In 1949, this institute became a section of the Institute of History within the Cluj branch of the Romanian Academy. The museum operated within the Romanian Academy until 1963, when, on January 1, by Council of Ministers Decision no. 1377 of December 31, 1962, the Cluj History Museum was established, subordinated to the State Committee for Culture and Art, with the academician Constantin Daicoviciu as its first director. The Museum of History in Cluj has consolidated its scientific and cultural prestige recognized in the country and abroad.

In 1994, the Cluj museum received the title of important museumNTA Nation, being called henceforth The National History Museum of Transylvania.

Nowadays, the National Museum of the History of Transylvania in Cluj has a heritage of over 450.000 pieces. They illustrate the history and civilization of Transylvania, in close connection with the history of Romania and Europe, from prehistoric times to the contemporary period.