The National Museum of Lithuania occupies the New Arsenal building adjacent to Cathedral Square and Gediminas Hill — a good location for a museum covering the entire sweep of Lithuanian history. The permanent collection runs from prehistoric Baltic cultures through the medieval Grand Duchy, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Russian imperial period, the interwar republic, Soviet occupation, and independence.
The exhibits covering the pre-Christian Baltic cultures are particularly strong — Lithuania was one of the last European states to convert to Christianity (1387) and the museum has significant archaeological material from the pagan period. The 20th-century rooms are inevitably heavy: the deportations, the Holocaust, the partisan resistance. Allow 2–3 hours. Arsenal Square 1. Open Tue–Sun 10:00–18:00.