Museums and galleries in Vilnius

Museums and galleries in Vilnius

1. See

   Bastion of Vilnius Defensive Wall

   The city walls were built 1503-22 with nine gates (of which only Gate of Dawn survives) and this artillery position. It's now a museum of the city's military history.

   Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00·Adult €6, child €3

2. See

   Church of St Casimir

   Baroque RC church completed in 1618. It's been held by various faiths (including a spell as Museum of Atheism) but was re-consecrated in 1991. It often hosts organ recitals.

   Mon-Fri 11:00-19:00, Sun 08:00-19:00

3. See

   Church of St Catherine

   Šv. Kotrynos bažnyčia

   Built in the 18th century in Baroque style and dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria, as part of a Benedictine Nunnery. The church is known for its elegant façade, intricate stucco decorations, but many of its artworks were either lost in WW2 or moved to the Lithuanian National Museum of Art.

4. See

   Energy and Technology Museum

   This was the city's first power plant, opened in 1903. It exhibits electricity generation, industrial technologies, child-friendly interactions and transformation, the Tesla-inspired wizardry that enables long-distance transmission of electricity. They also have an Escape Room, €50 for 2-4 players.

   Tue-Sun 10.00-18.30·Adult €7, child or conc €3.5

5. See

   Gediminas Castle

   This is the Upper Castle of a complex of three built from the 13th century, much bashed about, and abandoned from the 16th. (The Lower Castle became the site of the Arsenal, Palace and Cathedral, and the "Crooked Castle" was destroyed in 1394.) You can ascend the cobbled lane and enter the courtyard free for views of the city, and the Three Crosses on the hill east. The ducal palace east side of the courtyard is just a shell, converted into a performance space. West side is the three storey red brick tower, now a museum.

   Daily 10:00-20:00·Tower adult €8, conc or child €4

6. See

   House of the Signatories

   Neo-renaissance mansion where Lithuania's Act of Independence was signed on 16 February 1918. It's now a branch of the National Museum depicting the story of Lithuania as a separate nation, in which independent spirit it makes few concessions to non-speakers of the language.

   Tue-Fri 10:00-18:00, Sat Sun 12:00-17:00·Adult €4, child or conc €2

7. See

   Kazys Varnelis House-Museum

   Varnelis (1917-2020) was an abstract artist who mostly lived in the USA, returning to Vilnius in 1998. His house is now part of National Museum, displaying his studio and works.

   Wed-Sun 10:00-18:00·Adult €5, child or conc €2

8. See

   Lithuanian Theatre, Music and Cinema Museum

   Has little for non-speakers of Lithuanian, though some exhibits transcend language.

   It's open Wed-Sat 10:00-18:00, Sun 10:00-16:00

9. See

   MO Museum

   Museum with modern contemporary art and changing exhibitions.

   Wed-Mon 10:00-20:00·Adult €11, conc or child €5.50

10. See

    Markučiai Park

    This green area stretches east of the Pushkin Museum, linking with others such as Pavilnys Regional Park to form a greenbelt between the city and its industrial and commuter suburbs. The parks have bosky walks and are dotted with ancient burial tumuli.

11. See

    Money Museum

    History of money, and collection of coins and bills from around the world.

    Apr-Oct Tue–Fri 10:00–19:00, Sat 11:00-18:00, Nov-Mar Tue–Fri 9:00–18:00, Sat 10:00-17:00·Free

12. See

    Museum of Applied Arts & Design

    Taikomosios dailės ir dizaino muziejus

    This arsenal in the Lower Castle was built in the 15th century and stored heavy artillery. It's now part of the National Museum, displaying the country's pre-history and early history until the arrival of Christianity in the 11th century.

    Tue We & Fri 10:00-18:00, Thu 10:00-20:00, Sun 11:00-16:00

13. See

    Museum of Illusions

    Ames Room, Pepper's Ghost, holograms, all the staples are here. Children will love it.

    Mon-Sat 10:00-19:00, Sun 10:00-18:00·Adult €12, child or conc €9

14. See

    Museum of Occupations and Freedom Fights

    This is in the former KGB headquarters, where over 1000 were put to death. In spite of the plurals, it is specifically the Lithuanian experience under Soviet rule that is described; the experience under Nazism would reveal a very dark corner of national history. And until 2018, it was called the Museum of Genocide Victims, yet almost entirely omitted the genocide against what had been a large Jewish population. Just one small KGB interrogation cell in the basement describes this, as if 190,000 deaths were a dissident version of history to be beaten into confessing that it didn't exist, never happened.

    Wed-Sat 10:00-18:00, Sun 10:00-17:00·Adult €6, child or conc €3

15. See

    Museum of the Centre of Europe

    Open-air sculpture park. It's within Europas Park, the rest of which is free and open to dusk.

    Daily 10:00-18:00·Adult €12, student €11, child €8

16. See

    Museums Centre for Information, Digitisation and LIMIS

    About the digitisation and online curating of museum collections. So if you want to grasp the "principles of the use of ontologies" you've come to the right place, but if you seek physical exhibits you've not been listening.

17. See

    New Arsenal

    The New Arsenal was established in the 18th century and mostly served as a barracks. It's now part of the National Museum displaying Lithuania's history and cultural heritage. As of October 2025, it is closed for major restructuring work.

    Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00·Adult €5, child €2.50

18. See

    Old Arsenal

    This arsenal in the Lower Castle was built in the 15th century and stored heavy artillery. It's now part of the National Museum, displaying the country's pre-history and early history until the arrival of Christianity in the 11th century.

    Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00·Adult €5, child €2.50

19. See

    Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania

    This is a modern replica: the original was built in the 15th century, ruined in the 17th and demolished in 1801. A merchant's house was then built, which became part of the Arsenal. In the 1990s after independence the palace was rebuilt to the original plan, somehow without deciding what it would be used for, and to outcry as it blocked the vista from Cathedral Square. It's become part of the National Museum, with displays of palace history and reconstructions of the ceremonial halls.

    Tue–Sat 10:00–18:00, Sun 10:00-16:00·Adults €10.50, conc or child €5.25

20. See

    Pushkin Museum

    Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837) was often in exile around the edges of Russia: not here, but his son lived in this mansion. His works were translated into Lithuanian and much of the museum is about that literary task, but it has period decor.

    Wed-Sun 10:00-18:30·Adult €1.20, child €0.60

21. See

    Railway Museum

    Presents the history of railways in Lithuania from Prussian times until today. Railway equipment small enough to fit into a room, tickets, staff uniforms and the like are on display in addition to scale models, pictures and videos. Child-friendly.

    Tue-Fri 09:00-18:00, Sat 10:00-18:00·€6, card only

22. See

    Toy Museum

    Žaislų muziejus

    Interactive museum of toys down the ages, chid-friendly of course.

    Thu Fri 14:00-18:00, Sat Sun 11:00-16:00·Adult €7, child €5

23. See

    Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum

    Early modern Lithuania (like Poland, "White Russia" and Ukraine) had a large Jewish population, as Russia's Jews were encouraged (often violently) to live in the western "Pale of Settlement". Best known is the rabbinical scholar Elijah ben Solomon Zalman (1720-97), the "Vilna Gaon". The museum describes that community, its tribulations and eventual obliteration.

    Mon 11:00-18:00, Tue-Thu 10:00-18:00, Fri 10:00-16:00

24. See

    Vilnius University

    Vilnius University now has faculties across the city and beyond, but this is the baroque core of it, with the library, courtyards, observatory and Church of St Johns (plural: Šv Jono, the Baptist and the Evangelist). You can see the church, four courtyards and Franciszek Smuglewicz Hall free, and guided tours are available for groups of four or more by prior booking. The Adam Mickiewicz Museum displays the university's history.

    Museum Mon-Sat 09:00-15:00·Adult €2, child or conc €1

25. See

    Church Heritage Museum

    Displays religious art.

26. See

    Culinary Museum

    This is about tableware rather than cuisine.

    Mon-Fri 11:00-15:00·Adult €4, child or conc €2

27. See

    National Museum of Art

    Huge display of art from the 14th to 20th century.

    Tue-Sat 11:00-18:00, Sun 12:00-17:00·Adult €6, child or conc €3

28. See

    Tartle

    Gallery of modern art, visit only by pre-booked guided tour.

29. See

    Vilnius Museum

    Small independent museum of city history.

    Tue-Fri 15:00-19:00, Sat Sun 11:00-19:00·Adult €5, child or conc €2.50

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Vilnius (CC BY-SA 4.0).