The museum was founded in 1948, and its original collection comprised Roman coins, antique furniture, arms and weapons and paintings donated by Dr Antun Bauer. The Museum first resided in the Stage-coach Post Office Building located in the old Baroque centre of Vukovar, but in 1966 the collection was moved to the Eltz Castle. Before 1991, the Museum owned some 50,000 exhibits, divided into four separate sections.