It's an interesting story, as you'd expect. I can't do it all justice, but I can give you an idea.
While the structure was first built in 1252, the first Pope didn't show up until 1309. Pope Clement wanted no part of the civil strife in Rome that was taking place after his election, and he fled for Avignon - where a bishop's complex was standing.
But that was insufficient for the needs of a Pope, so the complex grew in size during the 1300s. Seven popes lived in Avignon. That situation lasted until 1377, when the home of Popes went back to Rome. But that didn't come without an argument; "anti-popes"- those with a legitimate claim to the job - stayed until 1411.
The building deteriorated a bit after that even though it was in church hands. Then in 1789, it was the site of some damage during the French Revolution. The structure was turned into a stable, which at least meant it would be maintained even if the artwork didn't survive. It became a national museum in 1906.
Now it's a major tourist attraction, among the biggest in France. It comes with a bit of a warning. The space is generally empty. Yes, there are some rooms that survived a bit, and exhibitions are staged in the facility. Still, video screens offer images on what it looked like, as in "The college of cardinals elected Popes in this big, now empty room." It takes some imagination to see how it worked in its day.
You can take a look around in this video:
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