The museum was built first in Bulaq, then it was moved to Giza Palace of Khedive Ismael, Cairo museum which is now in Tahrir square was opened in 1901. It houses the antiquities that were collected by Marriette Pacha, a French Egyptologist who was later titled the father of Egyptology).

The museum accommodates more than a hundred thousand ancient pieces all displayed in historical order, it is divided into two stories; on the ground floor visitors can see the antiquities from:
- The Predynastic period
- The Old Kingdom
- The Middle Kingdom
- The New Kingdom

While on the upper floor visitors can see antiquities from:
- Tutankhamen’s tomb (Most of its content is now moved to the GEM)
- Coffins and mummies from the new kingdom, and the late period
- The Royal mummies room (Moved to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization)
- The animal mummies room
- The contents of Yuya and Thuya’s tomb