 The museum was opened as a zoological museum in 1846 with the name "Gabinetto Zoologico Zootomico" and set in Palazzo Biserini in Piazza Hortis (ex Piazza Lipsia) in 1852, where has coexisted with the Civic Library and the literary museums until 2010.In 1855, under the protectorate of Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian, the museum was renamed "Civico Museo Ferdinand Maximilian".Through many donations and as a result of several international expeditions (such as the Novara frigate), the museum has developed a range of exhibits.