Museums in Riga: Art, History and Current Exhibitions

The national art museums

If you only have time for one art museum, make it the Latvian National Museum of Art (Latvijas Nacionālais mākslas muzejs) at Jaņa Rozentāla laukums 1, a short walk north of the Old Town through the park. The building itself is a grand 1905 statement, and a careful restoration added a light-filled new level under the roof. The permanent collection is the national story of Latvian art from the 18th century to today, with the great names, Janis Rozentāls, Vilhelms Purvītis, Johann Walter, alongside Russian and Baltic art. It is the one museum almost everyone should see.

Under the same national museum sit two more art houses in the Old Town. The Art Museum Riga Bourse (Mākslas muzejs Rīgas Birža) at Doma laukums 6 fills a lavishly restored 19th-century stock exchange on Cathedral Square with world art: European painting, Asian and Egyptian collections, and porcelain, all worth it for the interiors alone. The third house, Arsenāls, is closed for a major reconstruction, so check before you go.

For the exhibitions on at these museums right now, see the list further down this page.

History, occupation and war

Latvia's 20th century was brutal, and its history museums tell it without flinching. They are the most moving things you can do in Riga.

The Museum of the Occupation of Latvia (Latvijas Okupācijas muzejs) at Latviešu strēlnieku laukums 1, on a square at the edge of the Old Town, covers the years 1940 to 1991 under Soviet and Nazi occupation, through documents, objects and survivor testimony. Entry is around 8 euros (5 for students). It runs the second, equally important site across town: the Corner House (Stūra māja), the former KGB headquarters, which we cover in full in its own guide.

The Latvian War Museum (Latvijas Kara muzejs) is set inside the medieval Powder Tower at Smilšu iela 20, on the edge of the Old Town, and tells Latvia's military history from the medieval period through both world wars and the fight for independence. Entry is free. For the longer sweep of the country's past, the Latvian National History Museum (Latvijas Nacionālais vēstures muzejs) runs from prehistory to the modern republic.

Riga's own story: the city and Art Nouveau

Riga has one of the largest collections of Art Nouveau architecture in the world, and the best way inside it is the Riga Art Nouveau Centre (Rīgas Jūgendstila centrs) at Alberta iela 12, in the former apartment of architect Konstantīns Pēkšēns. It is a fully furnished 1903 flat, from the spiral staircase to the painted ceilings, and the staff often dress in period costume. It sits on Alberta iela, the single most spectacular Art Nouveau street in the city, so pair it with a slow walk past the façades.

To understand the city itself, the Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation (Rīgas vēstures un kuģniecības muzejs) at Palasta iela 4, tucked beside the Cathedral, is the oldest public museum in the Baltics, founded in 1773, and traces eight centuries of Riga from a Hanseatic trading town to today. For something smaller and more focused, the Latvian Museum of Photography (Latvijas Fotogrāfijas muzejs) at Mārstaļu iela 8 traces Latvian photography from the 19th century on, including the famous Minox spy camera, invented in Riga.

One-of-a-kind collections

Some of Riga's best museums are gloriously specific, and worth the short trip out of the centre.

• Riga Motor Museum (Rīgas Motormuzejs), in the Teika district a short ride east of the centre, is the largest antique-vehicle museum in the Baltics: Soviet limousines, racing cars and a slick interactive display. One of the best rainy-day options in the city and a hit with kids.
• Latvian Ethnographic Open-Air Museum (Latvijas Etnogrāfiskais brīvdabas muzejs) at Brīvības gatve 440, on the wooded shore of Lake Jugla, gathers more than a hundred historic farmsteads, churches and windmills from across Latvia. Give it half a day in good weather.
• Riga Porcelain Museum (Rīgas Porcelāna muzejs) at Kalēju iela 9/11, in the Konventa sēta courtyard, tells the story of the city's famous porcelain factories.
• Sun Museum (Saules muzejs), a cheerful little Old Town museum of suns from around the world, is an easy, charming stop between the bigger sights.

Small galleries worth your time

Beyond the museums, Riga has a warm scene of independent galleries where entry is usually free and you often meet the artists.

• Arvils Linde art space, in the Āgenskalns quarter across the river in Pārdaugava, is the studio and gallery of Latvian artist Arvils Linde, a friend of ours, and a lovely, personal place to see contemporary Latvian work. See what is showing on his Instagram.
• kim? Contemporary Art Centre (kim? Laikmetīgās mākslas centrs) is Riga's leading contemporary-art space, with a strong programme of changing shows.
• Māksla XO, a central commercial gallery, shows established and emerging Latvian artists.
• Art Station Dubulti, out in Jūrmala, is a contemporary-art gallery inside a working railway station, an easy add-on to a day at the beach.

Planning your museum days

A few practical notes to make the most of them:

• Most museums close on Mondays, and some also on Tuesdays, so check opening hours before you set out.
• Prices are low. Most tickets are a few euros, and students usually get a discount, so bring your student card.
• Some are free. The Latvian War Museum is free year-round, and several state museums have free-entry days around national holidays such as 18 November (Latvia's independence day) and 18 May (International Museum Day).
• Everything central is walkable. The art, history and city museums cluster in and around the Old Town; for the Motor Museum, the Ethnographic Museum or Jūrmala, see our getting-around guide.

All of our residences are a short walk from the Old Town, so you can fold a museum or two into any day in the city. For more to see and do, start with our things-to-do guide.