The idea of establishing a City Museum in Skopje originated in 1935 when the municipal budget allocated 100,000
Yugoslav dinars for its development. The funds were intended for photographing important objects in the city, collecting museum materials, books, and images related to Skopje, excavating the ancient city of Skupi, and preserving old monuments. Additionally, the funds aimed to incorporate the collections of the "Museum of
Southern Serbia" into a Skopje-based department. However, the creation of the museum was delayed due to political factors, as the authorities viewed it as a potential tool for fostering national consciousness and resistance against foreign rule. After
World War II in Yugoslav Macedonia, the City Museum of Skopje was officially established in 1949 by the City People's Committee, and it opened to the public on October 11, 1951, coinciding with the tenth anniversary of the
Day of the Macedonian Uprising, proclaimed in 1945 as a national holiday. For nearly two decades, the museum faced challenges in securing an adequate building. Initially, it operated within the Cultural and Scientific Commission of the People's Committee of Skopje until 1952, when it moved to a dedicated space on 27 Mart Street in the city centre. In early 1956, it relocated to a portion of the former Turkish telegraph office, which later became a cultural monument. In 1962, a review of the city's cultural monuments led to the decision to move the museum's permanent exhibition to the Kuršumli An building, a 16th-century Ottoman structure in the old bazaar. However, before plans could be implemented, a devastating earthquake on July 26, 1963, damaged the building, forcing the museum to operate outdoors and under tents alongside the Ethnological Museum. In 1964, a temporary Czech-style prefabricated building was set up near Kale fortress, funded with 320,000 dinars. By 1967, the museum was forced to relocate again due to urban planning projects, including the construction of the French Consulate. That same year, the museum developed a plan to either build a new structure or adapt part of the old railway station, which had become a symbol of the 1963 earthquake disaster. The plan was approved in 1968, and construction was completed in 1970, resulting in a building with 4,670 square meters of space. This included exhibition areas, a cinema hall, storage, workshops, offices, and technical facilities. The renovation cost 7.8 million dinars. On October 11, 1971, the museum reopened to the public, showcasing a thematic exhibition dedicated to the National Liberation War and marking the 30th anniversary of the 1941 Skopje revolution. ==Building==