The Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation is located in Old Riga in the remodelled building of the former Dome Cathedral. It is not only the oldest museum in Latvia, but also the oldest in Europe.
The origins of the museum date back to the 18th century. At the heart of the rich collections is collection of exhibits of Riga physician Nikolaus von Himsel (1729-1764). After the death of Nikolaus, his mother, according to her son’s will, donated the exhibits, which included natural science, art, and historical objects, to Riga. In February 1773, the rulers of Riga ordered the establishment of the museum and named it after Himsel. At that time, the museum was housed in the Anatomical Theatre, located at 34/36 Kaleju Street. Unfortunately, this building has not survived to this day.
In 1791, the museum moved to the east wing of the Dome Cathedral, specially equipped for the needs of the museum and the city library. In 1816 the museum Museum opened an art room, and at the end of the 19th century a coin room. The development of the museum is connected with the activities of various societies, whose collections were presented in the museum in 1858. In 1890, the societies that took part in the life of the museum (the Society for the Study of History and Antiquities of the Baltic Provinces of Russia, the Literary Practical Union of Citizens, etc.) moved, along with the collections, to the Dome Ensemble, in which a building was built for the needs of the museum on Palasta street, 4.
In 1932, the Dome Museum, including its existing collections, joined the list of objects of the Monument Administration of the Republic of Latvia, but was closed four years later. At the same time, the city administration of the city established the Riga Riga City History Museum. The development of the newly created museum was suspended due to the outbreak of World War II, and later it was prevented by the Soviet occupation. During this entire difficult period, it changed its name more than once, starting in 1964 and to this day it is called the Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation.
In 2005, the Museum of the History of Riga and Navigation was transformed into a state agency. Today, the museum houses more than Half a million objects, divided into 80 collections. The most significant collections are archaeological and numismatic. The museum has 3 branches - the Mentsendorf House in Riga, the Latvian Museum of Photography and the Museum of the Ainaži Maritime School.
