Museum of Pharmacy, Riga

Located in an 18th century house, the Museum of Pharmacy in Riga was established in 1938, when the private collections of pharmacist Dāvis Blūmentāls and professor Jānis Maizīte were united. The exhibits from pharmaceutical societies of Riga and Kurzeme were added to the collection and the museum was set up in the former premise of the LU Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry. The museum has been in its current location, at 13 Riharda Vāgnera iela (street), since November 14, 1986, when more exhibits, belonging to Pauls Stradiņš, were added. It was open to the public on March 21, 1988.

Nowadays, the Museum of Pharmacy hosts over 3,000 exhibits displayed in six halls. Each hall is dedicated to a certain aspect of the history of pharmacy. The first hall gathers a large variety of pharmaceutical vessels of nearly all imaginable shapes and sizes. The second hall is dedicated to pharmacy’s development in Latvia, while the third one displays how the medicine was produced in the 19th century. The fourth hall is devoted to different branches of pharmacology (homoeopathy, pharmacology and pharmaceutical chemistry) and their functions. In the fifth hall visitors can see some of the 21st century medical industry innovations, while the sixth hall features 18th and 19th century laboratories. Outside, in the museum’s yard, is a garden with traditional herbs.