MNK Arsenal is housed in the historic building of the former municipal arsenal, located within Kraków's medieval city walls. The building was assigned for museum use in 1874 and forms part of the Princes Czartoryski Museum complex.
Today, it presents the National Museum in Kraków's collections of ancient art alongside its military collection in the permanent exhibition Arms and Colours. The tradition of collecting military artefacts at the National Museum in Kraków dates back to the museum's earliest years and has been shaped by donations from the public, which, since the late 19th century, have enriched the collection with weapons, uniforms, and historical memorabilia related to the history of Poland.