Riga Castle is both home to the Latvian National Museum of History and a building of outstanding architectural value. The Museum has been located here since 1920 and currently occupies the reconstructed wing of the oldest part of Riga Castle with the entrance from Daugavas gāte.

From 2026 the museum offers new exhibitions at Riga Castle – “Streaming Time” (from 21 March) and “Livonian Castles” (from 17 June).

On the 4th floor a new, modern exhibition “Streaming Time” is on display. More than 1,500 historical objects and exciting digital content, combined in a special design, tells the story of Latvia and its inhabitants in the course of history. It explores the flow of time through the many communities to which individuals have belonged – ethnic groups, townspeople, church congregations, social class, and others – highlighting the distinctive sense of “we” found in each era and the ways people have worked together to achieve shared aims. Questions of identity, values and belonging remain just as relevant today. Where do I belong in the present moment? What binds me to the society around me? And how have the meaning and scale of belonging changed over time?

In the cellars of Riga Castle the exhibition “Livonian Castles” is on display. It tells the story of the Livonian period (13th–16th c.) and the castles built during this time, revealing one of the most significant layers of Latvia’s medieval cultural and historical heritage. The exhibition is housed in the vaulted cellars of Riga Castle, built in the 14th century, with an impressive architecture, covering an area of more than 530 square meters. In addition to the exhibition halls, there is also a room accessible from the exhibition featuring a 600-year-old hot-air or hypocaust furnace. The new exhibition is designed as a contemporary interior installation that clearly distinguishes the historical heritage from the present day. The masonry walls and vaults of the Riga Castle basement have been preserved intact, showcasing the authentic historical interior, while the polymer concrete has been used to create the exhibition—it is raised like a floating path that guides visitors through various themes of the story of Livonian castles. The latest technologies—including standard and touchscreen displays, video and light projections, as well as holographic projections—bring the exhibition’s message to life and allow visitors to explore the history of Livonian castles in an interactive and multifaceted way.

On the 5th floor the “Explorer’s Attic” – specially equipped education room – is available for families with children and schoolchildren. On weekdays, the museum offers educational activities for school groups, while individual visitors and families with children are welcome on Fridays from 15:00 to 20:00, on weekends and school holidays.

For exploring the Riga Castle and exhibitions, free of charge audio guide is available. While, a virtual tour offers an opportunity to see the rooms before the installation of the exhibitions. The Museum can be visited individually or in a groups. Guided tours in English of Riga Castle or in the exhibition “Streaming Time” or “Livonian Castles” have to be booked in advance: info@lnvm.gov.lv or +37167221357 Information about school group visits can be found here: https://lnvm.gov.lv/en/riga-castle/for-schools/#e

The “Explorer’s Attic”, audioguide of Riga Castle and exhibition “Streaming Time” are being created  with co-financing from European Union funds, attracted by the Ministry of Culture.