 The museum is housed in a former Dutch prison, built in 1676, which is the only surviving Dutch period building within the Colombo Port area.The building has been refurbished and renovated to accommodate the artifacts at cost of Rs 25 million, as a result of the concept first presented by the Minister of Ports Development, Rehabilitation & Reconstruction, M. H. M. Ashraff.It was officially opened in August 2003, by the Minister of Shipping, Ports Development, Eastern Development and Muslim Religious Affairs, Rauff Hakeem.