the museum was originally officially opened in conjunction with the international workers' day on 1 may 2010 in pier-2 art center. however, the soft opening was earlier, on 26 december 2009. in 2015, the museum was relocated from yancheng to cianjin district and was reopened on 25 july the same year. during the opening ceremony, various events and displays were held, such as retro marketplace and storytelling.