The museum was established to preserve and present the first of Khufu’s solar boats, discovered disassembled in 1954 in one of two boat pits on the south side of the Great Pyramid. The structure was unique in being purpose-built over the pit from which the vessel was excavated. The barque itself—intended for the pharaoh’s journey with the sun god Ra in the afterlife—was painstakingly reconstructed from over 1,200 individual wooden pieces by restorer Haj Ahmed Youssef.

Open to the public for several decades, the museum played a vital role in both public education and the conservation of one of the world’s oldest and best-preserved wooden boats. It remained active until the early 2020s, when the boat was transferred to the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) and the original building was dismantled.

circa 1982-2021 CE

The museum was built in 1982, nearly three decades after the discovery of the solar boat in 1954 by Egyptian archaeologist Kamal el-Mallakh. Excavation revealed a limestone-covered pit containing neatly stacked cedar wood planks, rope, and associated hardware—believed to be one of at least two ritual vessels buried near the pyramid.

Reconstruction of the vessel took several years and was conducted entirely on-site under controlled conditions. The completed barque was placed on an elevated support system within the museum to preserve its structural integrity. The museum remained in operation until August 2021, when the vessel was moved to the Grand Egyptian Museum using a specially engineered transportation system. The building was fully dismantled after the relocation.

circa 1982-2021 CE

The museum was constructed directly above the southernmost boat pit, incorporating it into the building’s foundation. The structure was rectangular, raised on pilotis to avoid direct contact with the underlying archaeological features. It was built primarily of reinforced concrete and steel framing with a protective external cladding.

Dimensions were modest in comparison to large museum complexes: the interior space was primarily one long hall aligned along the vessel's axis. The architectural design was utilitarian rather than monumental, prioritizing climate control, artifact safety, and visual accessibility over stylistic flourish. Viewing platforms on multiple levels allowed visitors to examine the vessel from above and alongside, but not directly at hull level, to minimize environmental impact.

The entire complex was in two sections, the upper section contained the khufu's boat it self, which could be viewed from two level platforms. the other section included the neatly curated photos of discovery and reconstruction, a modern maquette (model) of the ancient full scale barque, and similar smaller ancient model boats and a small book-gift shop.

circa 2570 BCE

The centerpiece and sole major exhibit was the reconstructed Solar Barque of King Khufu, measuring approximately 43.6 meters in length and constructed from imported Lebanese cedar and Egyptian acacia. The boat featured mortise-and-tenon joinery, rope lashings, and no metal fasteners—consistent with Old Kingdom shipbuilding techniques.

Also displayed were select original tools, copper implements, and restoration materials used during the reconstruction, alongside interpretive panels and models illustrating the excavation, construction methods, and symbolic function of the solar boat in funerary theology.

Since the museum was constructed directly above the ancient boat pit in which Khufu’s solar barque was discovered in a disassembled state, the original limestone-lined pit (inspect) itself was integrated into the museum building, allowing visitors to view both the reconstructed vessel and its original archaeological context.

No other major artifacts were housed in the museum, which functioned almost exclusively as a dedicated conservation and display facility for a single object of exceptional archaeological and cultural value.