The Museum Storage Complex in Riga is a modern facility designed to preserve, study and showcase important cultural collections. It houses collections from the Latvian National Museum of History, the Museum of Literature and Music, and the Latvian art collection from the 1950s to the 21st century of the Latvian National Museum of Art, creating a central space for conservation and research.
Purpose and facilities
The complex provides state-of-the-art conditions for storing, cataloguing and restoring museum objects. It also allows access to collections for researchers and, in selected cases, for visitors through exhibitions.
Designed as a unified architectural space, the building integrates different museum functions without visually separating them. The surrounding area has been thoughtfully arranged with pedestrian paths and greenery, ensuring accessibility and a pleasant environment for visitors.
“Forest of Sculptures” exhibition
One of the highlights open to the public is the permanent exhibition “Forest of Sculptures”. This display presents copies of famous works from Antiquity and the Renaissance, offering visitors a rare opportunity to see classical masterpieces in one place. The concept of the exhibition brings together art from different eras into a single space, creating a dialogue between time periods while maintaining a sense of historical continuity.
The exhibition includes copies of world-renowned sculptures such as Myron’s Discobolus, Praxiteles’ Hermes and the Infant Dionysus, Verrocchio’s David with the Head of Goliath and Michelangelo’s Moses. Many of these casts date back more than a century and were originally commissioned for display in Riga’s museums.
The core of the exhibition consists of sculptures commissioned for the Column Hall in the early 20th century by Dr. Wilhelm Neumann (Carl Johann Wilhelm Neumann, 1849–1919), the first director of the LNMA (at that time – the Riga City Art Museum). The display also includes works inherited from the University of Latvia’s Art Cabinet and the Courland Provincial Museum. The sculptures were exhibited in Riga Castle, at the former Museum of Foreign Art from the 1950s until 2010. After the fire in Riga Castle in 2013, the sculptures were stored in temporary premises and were not available for public viewing.
Visitor experience
For visitors, the Museum Storage Complex offers a different kind of museum experience - one that combines behind-the-scenes insight with carefully curated exhibitions. It is an excellent choice for those interested in art history, conservation and the journey of museum collections from storage to display.
Why visit
The Museum Storage Facility offers a unique behind-the-scenes look at how museums preserve and care for cultural heritage. Unlike traditional exhibition spaces, it allows visitors to discover how collections are stored, restored and studied, providing a deeper understanding of museum work.
Historical highlight
The complex houses more than two million objects, ranging from historical artefacts and artworks to film and music materials. Its creation marked an important step in centralising and modernising museum storage, while also opening parts of these collections to the public through exhibitions.
How to get there
The Museum Storage Facility is located at Pulka iela 8 in the Iļģuciems neighbourhood on the left bank of the city. It can be reached by public transport, with nearby stops such as “Ūdens iela” (bus) and “Pulka sēta” (tram), followed by a short walk.