The mint was first opened as a Federal mint 1838-61. For a few months in 1861 it was the Confederacy's only mint. Reopened in the mid-1870s, it continued as a U.S. mint until 1909. The building was extensively renovated in the 1850s and blends Classical Revival and Victorian styles.
Contrary to its name, the building is no longer in use as a mint. The Jazz and Carnival museum now occupy the second floor.