The museum was founded in 1995 and in July 2001 the museum opened in its current location on the Athy Road, Carlow Town.
One of the museums main displays features the uniforms of the Irish Defence Forces. The Defence Forces service in UN peacekeeping missions in the Congo, Lebanon and Somalia is the focus of other displays. Another feature of the museum is the reconstruction of a World War One trench. Other displays include the Irish War of Independence, Civil War, Carlow Militia and a range of displays relating to Carlow soldiers who have served in armies around the world.
