The Catholic priest, archaeologist, and historical researcher Frane Bulić was the museum director starting from 1884 for more than fifty years. He founded the first Croatian archaeological society in 1894 and developed the building of the second museum building from 1912 to 1914. The new building was built according to the plans of the Viennese architects, August Kirstein and Friedrich Ohmann in the neo-Romanesque style. The First World War delayed the opening of the new museum building, and the government only opened it to the public in early 1922.
