Alūksnes novada muzejs

About the museum

The Alūksne Museum was founded on 1 April 1959 and has been housed in Alūksne’s New Palace since its beginnings. The basis of the collection was laid by materials gathered by the teacher Olga Lapše and her pupils; the first exhibits were archaeological objects – stone axes, spear tips and jewellery. In 1963 the museum became a branch of the Madona museum, and in 1976 it regained its independence under the name Alūksnes novadpētniecības un mākslas muzejs (Alūksne Local History and Art Museum).

The palace was built in 1859–1863 by Baron Aleksandrs fon Fītinghofs in the late Tudor neo-Gothic style; it is one of the most notable monuments of this style in Latvia. The main façade faces Lake Alūksne and the Manor Park, and the rooms are grouped on either side of the large hall. Above the entrance, beneath the tower, is the coat of arms of the Fītinghofs family – a fox and three snail shells.

Since the 1980s the museum’s work has been characterised by local history, art exhibitions and traditional events, such as Art Days and Museum Days. Today the museum organises exhibitions, talks, educational sessions and chamber music concerts in the palace’s music salons, and offers tours of the palace and the Manor Park. The palace complex also contains the Round Tower (Apaļais tornis) and the Ice Cellar (Ledus pagrabs), where exhibition halls are set up in summer.

Highlights

• Alūksne New Palace – a 19th-century Tudor neo-Gothic monument
• Music salons and the multimedia exhibition “Helēnas dziedājums”
• The sensory and educational exhibition “Aizsapņošanās” (Daydreaming) by the writer Aleksandrs Pelēcis
• The Round Tower and the Ice Cellar as summer exhibition halls
• The Manor Park with small architectural features by Lake Alūksne

Permanent exhibitions

• „Aizsapņošanās“ — Aleksandra Pelēča sajūtu un izziņas ekspozīcija – The exhibition tells of the personality, creative legacy and connection with his home place of the writer Aleksandrs Pelēcis.
• Multimediālā ekspozīcija „Helēnas dziedājums“ – A multimedia exhibition in the palace’s music salons.

Founded

1959

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Free admission for everyone at exhibition opening events, on Latvian national holidays and during Muzeju nakts (Museum Night).

The price of €6 covers a visit to the whole museum. A guided group tour (up to 2 hours) costs €34.50 per group (€17.25 for pupils, students and pensioners), in addition to the admission fee. Free admission also for orphans, people repressed for political reasons, group leaders and accredited museum staff, on presentation of a document.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

Family ticket and museum education sessions (€1.50 for pre-school children, €3 for pupils).

Getting there & parking

The museum is in Alūksne’s New Palace at 74 Pils Street, next to Lake Alūksne and the Manor Park.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

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