The predecessor of the Nanjing Museum was the preparatory department of the National Central Museum, which was founded in 1933.
Nanjing Museum covers an area of 85,000 square meters. The museum has over 400,000 exhibits in its permanent collection. The most important exhibit of the collection is full-size armor made of small jade tiles connected with silver wire.
The museum's collections are presented in twelve exhibition halls:
- Qin garden
- Earthen Ware Hall
- Treasure room
- Folk Art Hall
- Bronze room
- China Ming and Qing Hall
- Wu Weishan sculpture hall
- Hall of ancient paintings
- Modern Art Hall
- Jiangnan Silk Product Hall
- Jade Hall
- Lacquer Hall