There are many pharmacy museums in the world, and Riga also has one, opened in 1986. The Pharmacy Museum occupies three small and romantic 18th century houses in the very heart of Riga's Old Town. The museum has a cozy backyard with a small garden of healing herbs - after all, every pharmacy used to grow herbal ingredients for its needs in the past.
The Pharmacy Museum offers to travel in time - from healers in times long past to the time when pharmacies were a world of mystery and only pharmacists could comprehend the names of medications. From alchemist’s laboratories to drugstores of the Soviet period, and on to the 21st century.
Pharmacies in Riga and Latvia have a long history - historical records say that Riga had a functioning pharmacy already in the 14th century. On the other hand, the beginnings of the history of pharmacy go to prehistoric times when man realized the healing power of plants and herbs.
At the moment, the museum's exposition occupies five halls altogether: "History of the Development of Pharmacy in Latvia", "Pharmacy Sectors", "Pharmaceutical Vessels", "21st Century Medications. Made in Latvia", "Traditional Medicine" and "Pharmacy - Laboratory in 18th and 19th Centuries". There is also a "real" healer's hut on display, and the office of a soviet-era pharmacy's assistant pharmacist.
Why visit
The Pharmacy Museum is a small but fascinating attraction in the historic centre of Riga, offering insight into how medicines were prepared and sold centuries ago. Set inside a preserved old apothecary building, the museum displays antique jars, scales, prescription books, medical instruments and period furniture. It is an engaging stop for anyone curious about everyday life in earlier times, the evolution of medical science, or unusual museums.
Historical highlight
The museum explores the development of pharmacy from early herbal remedies and alchemy to modern pharmaceutical practices. Visitors can see recreated interiors of historic pharmacies, rare medicinal containers, handwritten recipes and tools once used by apothecaries.
The building itself forms part of the story, preserving the atmosphere of a working pharmacy from past centuries and showing how medical services were integrated into city life.
How to get there
The Pharmacy Museum is located in Riga’s Old Town and is easy to reach on foot from major central landmarks such as St Peter’s Church and Town Hall Square. Public transport lines serving the city centre stop nearby, and from there it is just a short walk through the narrow historic streets.