Guide to Museums in:


Riga

LATVIA

RIGA MUSEUMS

The Latvian National Museum of Art (Latvian: Latvijas Nacionālais mākslas muzejs) is the richest collection of national art in Latvia. It houses more than 52,000 works of art reflecting the development of professional art in the Baltic area and in Latvia from the middle of the 18th century up until the present time. It also features Russian art from the 16th to the first half of the 20th century. The museum is located in two buildings in Riga, both of which are historically significant. The building at 10a K. Valdemara Street was designed by the German architect W. Neumann and built in 1905 — it is one of the most impressive historical buildings on the boulevard. It was the first building in the Baltics to be built for the purpose of being a museum.

For more information and enquiries please contact The Latvian National Museum of Art, 10a K.Valdemara Street, Riga LV-1010, Latvia, Phone: (+371) 67 325051, E-mail: lnmm@lnmm.lv

Latvian National Museum of Art at 10a K. Valdemara Street

Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation is housed by the Riga Dom Cathedral ensemble in the heart of the Old Riga, Latvia. As one of the oldest museums in Europe it has grown into the largest collection of material evidence of the history of Riga. The museum exhibitions follow up the development of Riga from the ancient villages of Riga and the ancient port in the 12th—13th century to the period of the Hansa League in the 13th—16th centuries and the Polish and Swedish rule in the 16th—17th centuries. The museum offers a unique exhibition of the life of citizens of Riga during the first period of Latvian independence from 1918—1940, as well as an opportunity to trace the history of Latvian navigation from ancient times to our days. The collections comprise ancient engravings with views of Riga, maps, plans, silver and porcelain, ship models, navigational instruments, a rich collection of objects for everyday use, clothing, decorative items and other things totalling half a million of exhibits.

For more information and enquiries please contact at Palasta iela 4, Rīga, LV–1050, Latvija, Tel: (+371) 67356676, 67356677, E-mail: direkt@rigamuz.lv

Interior view of the Museum of History of Riga and Navigation

Riga Motor Museum is the biggest antique vehicle museum in the Baltic countries. The museum is a state agency operating under the Transport Ministry. Since 1992, the museum is a member of International Association of Transport and Communication Museums (IATM–ICOM), since 1994 a member of Latvian Museum Association, since 2002 – a member of Latvian Transport Development and Education Association. The museum is located at 6 South Ezienšteina Street in the Mežciems neighbourhood of Riga. The museum also features a café and a sports club. he building was designed by the Latgyprogorstroy architect Viktors Valgums. Since 1992 it is a state museum. It functions for the interest of the widest society circles collecting, preserving, researching, restoring antique vehicles as a part of industrial heritage and material culture and making them known to the public.

For more information and enquiries please contact Riga Motor Museum, S. Eizenšteina street 6, Riga, LV 1079, Latvia, Tel: (+371) 67097170, E-mail: info@motormuzejs.lv

Riga Motor Museum
Photograph © Liftarn

Riga Film Museum is a film museum in Riga, Latvia. The museum was established in 1988, and is the only one in Latvia dedicated to this art form. The museum's collection includes some 32,000 items related to Latvian cinema and world film history, including film equipment, documents, photographs, sets and costume sketches and a rare Soviet Latvian amateur film collection. The museum does not have a permanent exhibition, but new exhibitions are created typically twice a year for promoting important Latvian film history periods, and people in the Latvian film industry.

For more information and enquiries please contact Riga Film Museum, Peitavas 10/12, Riga LV 1050, Tel: 67358873, 67358872, E-mail: kinomuzejs@kinomuzejs.lv

Museum of the Occupation of Latvia is an historic educational institution located in Riga, Latvia. It was established in 1993 to exhibit artifacts, archive documents, and educate the public about the 51-year period in the 20th century when Latvia was successively occupied by the USSR in 1940, then by Nazi Germany in 1941, and then again by the USSR in 1944.

For more information and enquiries please contact the Latvian Occupation Museum, Riflemen Square 1, Riga LV-1050, Latvia, Tel: (+371) 67212715, E-mail: omf@latnet.lv

Museum of the Occupation of Latvia
Photograph © Dezidor

Latvian Ethnographic Open-Air Museum is a museum in Riga, Latvia. It is an open-air museum, situated in a forest park area beside a lake just outside the capital, with farmers village houses, moved from different districts of the country. The museum was established in 1924, inspired by open air museums in Scandinavia. The plan was to establish a farm from the four regions, Kurzeme, Zemgale, Vidzeme and Latgale, supplied by buildings representing different crafts. In 1932 the museum was opened to the public; in 1939 there were 40 buildings erected. Today 118 buildings are on display, as well as more than 3000 items. Most ethnic groups in Latvia are represented in the museum. The collections count approximately 114,000 items.

For more information and enquiries please contact SIA "RIDemo ' Office, Zemitāna Street 6, Riga, LV - 1012, Tel: +371 67378155, E-mail: ridemo@ri.lv