Latvian National Museum or Art
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It is the nation’s largest art repository with over 52 000 works reflecting the development of Baltic and Latvian art from the 18th century to present day. The museum holds a substantial Russian art collection in the Baltics. The main building of the Latvian National Museum of Art in Krišjāņa Valdemāra Street is one of the most impressive in the Park and Boulevard Circle area of Riga. It was designed by the museum’s first director, the Baltic German architect and art historian Wilhelm Neumann and built in 1905. The structure, as well as the parameters of the exhibition rooms, corresponded to the level of required standard for an art museum in the Europe of at the previous turn of the centuries. The majestic facade is designed in the baroque and classicist styles; the sculptural group of the central fronton was created by the sculptor August Volz. The interior of the building – in the lobby and the ornaments of the staircase banister – feature elements of Art Nouveau. The top-floor lobby is adorned by with six decorative semi-circle circular paintings by the great Latvian painter Vilhelms Purvītis and the a master of Estonian classical art Gerhard von Rosen.The Arsenāls Exhibition Hall
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The Arsenāls Exhibition Hall of the Latvian National Museum of Art (LNMA) at 1 Torņa Street is the largest art exhibition hall in Riga; it is housed in a significant architectural monument, an early 19th-century customs warehouse building or arsenal built in the late Russian Classicism style of the late Russian Classicism; it has now been converted to suit the needs of a museum.
Museum of Decorative and Applied Arts (St. George’s church)
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The Museum of Decorative Arts and Design was opened on July 6, 1989 and it is situated in the former St.George's church – the oldest surviving stone building in Riga.
In its beginnings, Latvian professional decorative art, inspired by the first national awakening, was mostly rooted in folk craft traditions and the ethnographic heritage. In the first half of the 20th century there was a search for their national identity in the area of decorative applied art.
The museum owns the biggest existing collection of works by the founders of Latvian modernism, artists of the Baltars porcelain painting workshop Latvian modernism is defined by the abstract geometrical forms inspired by the Cubist, Futurist and Art Deco movements, decorative colours and shapes and graphic subtlety. The collection of works spans the time from the late 1800s to the present.
Museum of Art “Riga Bourse”
On 22nd of August 2011 in the very heart of Old Riga – Doma Square 6 - the new Museum of Art “Riga Bourse” was opened. National architectural monument Riga Bourse was built between 1852 and 1855 and created in Venetian Renaissance palazzo style, symbolising wealth and abundance. It was designed by the German born St. Petersburg architect Harald Julius von Bosse (1812 - 1894). The opulent interior with rich gilding and faux marble is at its best on the ground floor – in the Main Hall, the third and fourth floor galleries – the Western gallery and the Eastern gallery, and the fourth floor Festive Hall – with an exhibition of 16th-19th century paintings. For the first time in the history of the building all these rooms are fully open to the public.Foreign Art Museum
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The museum holds 18000 pieces of art from all over the world from the 5th B.C. – 1980s and includes ancient Egyptian art, works from antiquity, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, western European art from the 16th – 20th centuries as well as art from the Far East.
Latvian National History Museum
Pils laukums 3 ( Riga castle, third floor)
This is the largest collection of Latvian history artifacts with 720 000 archaeological, numismatic, ethnographic and historical pieces from ancient Latvian history to the 1940s.
Riga History and Maritime Museum
Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation is housed by the Riga Dome Cathedral ensemble in the heart of the Old Town. It originated in 1773 as a private collection of Nikolaus von Himsel, a Riga doctor and, being one of the oldest museums in Europe, over the centuries it has grown into the largest collection of material evidence of the history of Latvia.
Latvian Ethnographic Open-Air Museum
Latvian Ethnographic Open-Air Museum is one of the oldest open-air ethnographic museums in Europe covering 87 ha with examples of historical buildings from all areas of Latvia including farmer’s homesteads, artisan workshops, churches, a tavern and other buildings. During the summer 19 artisans demonstrate their craft and exhibit their tools.
Mencendorf House – Museum
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Built in 1695, the museum displays the manner in which wealthy citizens lived in the 17th-18th century. Ceiling paintings from the 17th-19th century are on display. This house home of one of Riga’s oldest pharmacies for almost 200 years.
Latvian War Museum
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Exhibitions of Latvian Defence 1920-1940, Latvia during Soviet Occupation and the Third National Awakening (1945-1991), Latvia’s participation in western Defence forces and the Weapons Hall – the oldest piece is from the 15th century.
Museum's website1991 barricades Museum
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Museum of barricades of 1991 has an exposition on display in three rooms, there is a model of the Dome Square with fires and lorries depicting the atmosphere of January 1991 is placed. There is a map of Barricade Days of January 1991 with the defended objects in Riga, in another room photographs and chronology of that time are displayed.
Latvian Natural History Museum
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The Natural History Museum of Latvia is the largest and one of the oldest complex museums of natural history and sciences in the Baltic States. It emerged in 1845 when it was founded by the Riga Balto-German intelligentsia as part of the Riga Naturalist Society (Der Naturforscherverein zu Riga) which also established a library, and displayed the first collection in a separate building. The main objectives set at the time – preservation, maintenance and research of Latvian nature, active environmental education about the country, region and the planet Earth, as well as holding various permanent and temporary exhibitions.Pauls Stradiņš Medical History Museum
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The exhibit displays developments in medicine and pharmocology from ancient to modern times. It is one of the largest museum of this type in the world.
Pharmacy Museum
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The museum shows t the development of pharmacy in Latvia until 1940. Documents from the 17th to 19th centuries, old books, various drugs, production tools, samples of medecine manufactures by Latvian pharmaceutical firms, decorative labware and prescriptions from a fascinating collection. The museum also houses a pharmacy with interior of early 20th century.
Latvian Architecture Museum
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Museum inhabits one of the Medieval dwelling houses in Old Riga known as “Three brothers”.
Latvian Sport Museum
In this museum you can view materials that reflect the development of sports in Latvia in the time period from the middle of the 18th century until today. In the library you can find presswork about the history of various sports, as well as books with sportsmen autographs.
Latvian Railway History Museum
Founded in 1994 and situated in an old engine repair shop, the Latvian Railway History Museum, Riga Branch contains 9 000 items. Signalling devices, tools, instruments, uniforms, station fittings and tickets are all on display. Station buildings and railway bridges are pictured in photographs and postcards on display. Some of the star exhibits are steam locomotives of German and Russian provenance, an accumulator locomotive, passenger and armoured carriages. The model railway of Livberze station at a scale of 1:87 is another highlight of the museum.Riga Motor Museum
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It’s the only car museum in the former USSR, and it is included on the list of the world’s 30 best technical museums and is among Europe’s Top-5.
The collection of the museum includes automobiles and motorcycles that were assembled in the beginning of the 20th century, as well as sport and war vehicles, and Breznev and Molotov’s limousines. One of the most significant exhibits in the museum is the 1938 Auto Union racing car Type D, which was saved from cutting into scrap by Viktors Kulbergs, president of Antique Automobile Club of Latvia
The collection of the museum includes automobiles and motorcycles that were assembled in the beginning of the 20th century, as well as sport and war vehicles, and Breznev and Molotov’s limousines. One of the most significant exhibits in the museum is the 1938 Auto Union racing car Type D, which was saved from cutting into scrap by Viktors Kulbergs, president of Antique Automobile Club of Latvia
Latvian Photography Museum
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This small museum covers the development of photography in Latvia from 1839 - 1941. View antique equipment from the previous two centuries and the world's largest exhibit dedicated to the famous Latvian produced Minox 'spy camera. The museum contains a separate room of reconstructed early 20th century’s photo salon. Modern photography exhibits take plave regularly.
Latvian Firefighting Museum
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This museum is situated in a fire-station which was built in 1911 in the Art Nouveau architectural style.
The museum collection reflects the history of fire fighting from the second half of the 19th century until now, and displays include fire-fighting equipment, flags, uniforms, photographs and documents.
The museum collection reflects the history of fire fighting from the second half of the 19th century until now, and displays include fire-fighting equipment, flags, uniforms, photographs and documents.
Riga Porcelain Museum
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Museum is located in Convent Yard of the Holy Ghost (Konventa Sēta) and offers the broadest collection of manufactured porcelain in Riga to its visitors. The exhibit traces the rich history of porcelain manufacturing in Riga started in 1841. An enormous red and gold vase dominates the exhibit, and is a standout not only because of its size, but because it was specially made for Riga on her 700th birthday in 1901. One room is filled with works from the Soviet era, when images of leaders were immortalised on vases.
The museum has a porcelain painting workshop where each of you can do the painting on various porcelain articles at your own will and taste. It is a unique opportunity to create an original gift for your friends or make them a nice surprise.
Riga Cinema Museum
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The museum has approimately 70 000 film and audio clips, photographs, posters, sketchers and other documents of Latvian and world cinema history.
Krišjāņa Barona Museum
One of the most revered men in Latvian history, Barons collected and codified over one million folk songs by walking all over the country and writing down this wealth of oral culture so that future generations might understand their ancestors and thus understand themselves. This museum, housed in the illustrious folklorist's former apartment, displays photographs, manuscripts and original furniture from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Explanations available in English.