The complex was first inhabited by Qajar monarchs and royal family in the 19th century. After an expansion of the compounds, Reza Shah lived there in the 1920s. And his son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi moved there in the 1970s.
After the Iranian Revolution, the complex became a museum. However, the current presidential palace is located adjacent to the Sad Abad compound.
Currently, parts of the Saadabad Palace compound are museums, in which visitors can roam through and look at the rich history of Iran, and some parts of the compound are used by the Iranian Cultural Heritage Organization which is responsible for most of the artifacts, locations, and cultural aspects of Iran. Also, the palace named Kakhe malakeye madar nowadays belongs to the presidency organization, and hosts the presidents foreign guests.
