The NCA has a rich historical tradition dating back to the days of the British Raj. During the 1860s, it was established in Lahore, in the Punjab region, as the 'Punjab School of Arts' and was then renamed the 'Mayo School of Arts, Lahore', after Lord Mayo, a Viceroy of India. In the 1890s, it moved to its present location next to the Lahore Museum and became the 'Mayo College of Arts' and after Partition and Independence of Pakistan in 1947, it was formally designated as the 'National College of Arts'. 