The first idea about the establishment of the museum were carried in Mogiła as early as in the 1970s at the initiative of Father Hugo Leszczyński. Perhaps such ideas were born earlier, but there are no sources for it. Father Hugo had no doubt that the legacy of the order was so extensive and valuable it should be presented to the community.

The Cistercian Abbey in Mogiła has been continually collecting various types of works of art since 1222 - from parchment documents, through valuable books, goldsmithing, liturgical fabrics to paintings and sculptures, often referring to the history and achievements of the order.

However, to establish the museum, considerable financial resources were necessary. Thanks to EU funds and state subsidies, the idea of Father Hugo could become reality about 20 years after his death.

In 2014 Father Abbot Piotr Chojnacki submitted the application for funding the project. The realisation took almost 7 years and involved the reconstruction of the existing ground-floor rooms in the part of the monastery known as Abbot's Palace and arranging them for exhibition space.