The building complex in which the museum will be established was constructed in 1937 during the Japanese rule of Taiwan as a training ground for prison officers to practice judo and kendo.After the handover of Taiwan from Japan to the Republic of China in 1945, the venue was transformed into Taichung Prison.

In 2017, Taichung Mayor Lin Chia-lung proposed to build a comic museum. The Ministry of Culture then chose two sites for the proposed site for the comic museum, which were Empire Sugar Factory Taichung Office and Xinmin Street Railway Warehouses The plan was then halted due to a land ownership dispute. The museum will occupy a total land of more than two hectares. It will consist of 19 Japanese buildings and one planned building.