The museum occupies a cave that was once used as headquarters by Rommel when he conducted the North African wars. This cave was originally cut in the Roman era and used to store grains due to its ideal position on the Paraetonium ancient seaport. It has now been turned into a military museum; it is also famous for the British, Italian and German Cemeteries.

The museum contains several possessions of the German commander like his compass, overcoat, photographs, maps and clothes trunk. Rommel's son dedicated many of the museum contents.

The Egyptian supreme council for antiquities agreed with the chairmanship of Egyptian Minister of Culture Farouk Hosni on specifying $5 million for a museum on German General Erwin Rommel in Matrouh city, an important site in World War II history as it was taken by the famous German leader to run military operations.

The artifacts related to Rommel include personal belongings, like military cloths, his tools, wireless, a phone device and a group of maps that carry his signature.

Hosni said that Rommel's family agreed to the Egyptian plan for developing this museum with a promise of developing the museum through providing some of personal belongings of Rommel in addition to a group of rare photos as well as cinema shots about his life and World War II.