In 1995 the Slovene government assigned the building Metelkova in the complex of the former military barracks called 4th of July to the National Museum of Slovenia. Plans for the future display and storage areas were drawn up in 2000. Construction began in July 2004 and was finished in 2008 when it was officially opened with the exhibition Primož Trubar (1508–1586), Exhibition for the Five-hundred-year Anniversary of His Birth. He was the one to publish the first Slovenian language book in 1550.
The new building has 3500 square metres of functional space. Storage space was made in the cellar for the collections of the Department of History and Applied Art, where furniture, metal, weapons, glass and pottery, ecclesiastic and secular textiles, paintings and sculpture, toys, religious objects, medals and orders, and sports found modern equipped spaces with humidity and temperature monitoring and surveillance. The old building received glass extension spaces with newly equipped restoration workshops of the Conservation and Restoration Department. The administration, curator and restoration staff offices of the 2 departments mentioned remained in the main building of National Museum of Slovenia on Prešernova Street. The rest of the National Museum of Slovenia - Metelkova premises are exhibition spaces. The first and second floors feature collections for the purpose of study on the history of applied arts with the artifacts dating from 14th century on. The first floor is reserved for blockbuster exhibitions and public events. In 2009 second big exhibition was organized with the title Under the Napoleon's Eagle - 200th Anniversary of the Illyrian Provinces in cooperation with the Archives of the Republic of Slovenia (ARS) and Musée National de l'Armée in Paris.
Guiding tours for groups and individuals are organised to prior arrangement. Cultural mediators, volunteers, also direct and guide visitors through study collections of Department of History and Applied Art.
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