The town hall was built in 1637, when Albert van Gavere was lord there, and is the oldest preserved town hall in Belgian Limburg.
The cloth hall and the covered market were on the ground floor, and the meeting rooms for the city council were on the top floor. The attic was rented out for economic activities, such as drying malt and hops. The basement served as a cache.
On November 18, 1798, the town hall was damaged when the brigands participating in the peasant war smashed the windows, smashed cupboards and tore up the papers. Repair work was carried out from 1861 under the direction of Herman Jaminé. From 1898-1902 the building was restored under the direction of Hyacinth Martens. The open hall present on the ground floor was closed to the town hall. On September 23, 1951, a memorial plaque was placed for Firmin Vandenbosch (1864-1949), a French-speaking man of letters, lawyer and diplomat.
In 1994 a replica of the pillory (kaecke) was placed in front of the town hall.
From 1970, the building housed the Justice of the Peace and the municipal services, and later also for a while the Museum of Musical Instruments and the Tourist Office. Today there is a restaurant in the building, and it also has a representative function.