The Munsey's Weekly, a thirty-six page quarto magazine was founded by Frank A. Munsey in 1889. His intention was to create "a magazine of the people and for the people, with pictures and art and good cheer and human interest throughout". Munsey employed John Kendrick Bangs as editor. After a few months the magazine was selling 40,000 copies a week. In 1891 Munsey took the decision to publish the magazine as a monthly and it was re-named as the Munsey's Magazine. The following year began including "a complete novel in each number".

In October, 1893 Munsey took the decision to reduce the price of the magazine to ten cents. This was a great success and by 1895 The Munsey's Weekly had a circulation of 500,000 a month. The magazine included numerous illustrations and when it began printing pictures of works of art it was attacked for its "half-dressed women and undressed statuary". As a result, some shops refused to stock the magazine. However, circulation continued to grow and by 1897 had reached 700,000.

After 1906 circulation of the magazine began to fall. By the 1920s it was down to 60,000. In July, 1921 The Munsey's Weekly was made an all-fiction monthly without illustrations. However, circulation continued to decline and in October, 1929, the magazine was merged with Argosy All-Story to form All-Story Combined.