The Hospitium dates from around 1300 and is thought to have been the accommodation for visitors to St Mary's Abbey.  However, it may also have been a warehouse and its uses have changed over the centuries.

During the 19th century, the Yorkshire Philosophical Society  renovated  the building and used it to exhibit items in their museum collection.  In the 1930s the upper storey was extended and a new roof was provided.

In 2008 the Hospitium underwent another major renovation with the installation, for the first time, of services such as running water, toilets, a passenger lift and a kitchen.  The building is now the centre of York Museum Trust's hospitality business.