The building that houses the Sofia History Museum is one of the most beautiful in Bulgaria's capital city. Opened in 1913 on the site of thermal springs, it served as the Municipal Central Mineral Baths until closing in 1986-shortly before the collapse of the Bulgarian Communist Party in 1989. Due in part to the building's Art Nouveau splendor and its prominent location in central Sofia, the municipal government declared it a historic landmark in 1998, and designated half of the building as a new Sofia History Museum. The Sofia History Museum encompasses not only the main building of the bathhouse, but also several smaller branches throughout the city, such as the open-air archaeological complex of Serdica and the Tomb of Prince Alexander of Battenberg. As such, it plays a vital role in promoting and disseminating the public history of Bulgaria's capital city.
