The building was inaugurated in 1898 with a single floor, and the construction of the upper floor above the main façade began in 1917, giving rise to several new areas, including the Noble Hall.
In 1943, once the construction works were completed, the Vasco da Gama Aquarium museum reopened to the public, displaying a vast collection of pieces from the Dom Carlos I Oceanographic Museum Collection.
There was the need to build several extensions as the collections grew and, in 1980, a new area opened its doors to the public - the New Room. It was also in the 1980's that the training of several national and foreign taxidermists resulted in the creation of a taxidermy laboratory. The laboratory prepares countless naturalised specimens, as well as fibreglass and synthetic resin reproductions of large marine animals, much appreciated by the general public.
The last extension of the Vasco da Gama Aquarium museum was built a little later, in 1986. The creation of the Malacology Hall, resulting from the conversion of an old office, has made it possible to open to the public an exhibition with more than 600 specimens of shells from the Portuguese coast.