Kaunas Town Hall
Kaunas Town Hall, located in the heart of the Old Town, is one of the oldest and most important buildings in the city. The mid-16th century building now houses a modern permanent exhibition presenting the city's history, present, people and nature, as well as changing exhibitions exploring Kaunas from different perspectives. Events and educational activities at Kaunas Town Hall are geared towards the diverse interests of Kaunas citizens, encouraging them to get to know and discuss Kaunas better.
Building’s history
The Town Hall has borne witness to over six hundred years of municipal history. The rights of Magdeburg were granted to Kaunas by the ruler Vytautas in 1408. Where the first town hall stood and what it looked like is still a matter of speculation. However, surviving historical sources reliably attest to the fact that on 28 July 1542 , a foundation laying act was signed for a new masonry town hall, which gradually evolved into the contemporary one, changing its volumes and shapes over time. From 1562 to 1808, the Town Hall was the seat of the magistracy; during the tsarist occupation, the municipal authorities (with limited powers under the tsarist administration) used to hold meetings here; and from 1918 to 1940, it served as the seat of the city council.
This building also commemorates the origins of the Kaunas City Museum, when it was briefly housed here in 1897-1910.Later, the museum was moved to the larger, adjacent premises of the former horse-post office, and in 1935 it was dissolvedwith the transfer of the majority of the museum’s collections to the two newly–established state museums bearing the name of Vytautas the Great – the War Museum and the Museum of Culture.
The idea of establishing a museum specially for Kaunas was rekindled after over half a century of occupation. On 11 March 2001, during the inauguration of the city’s newly elected Mayor, a legal act stipulating the establishment of the permanent Kaunas city history exhibition at the Town Hall was signed. The Town Hall building was finally handed over to the Museum in 2015, preserving its traditional function as a venue for marriage ceremonies.
In 2024, major renovation and management works were completed, implementing the project for the adaptation of the building for museum use, prepared by the architectural studio Processoffice and architect Loreta Janušaitienė. The renovated Town Hall has also opened a new exhibition on the city of Kaunas and its history, prepared by an interdisciplinary team, spread over all the floors of the building.
Although the Town Hall itself has changed, it continues to welcome visitors not only from the museum, but also from the staff of Kaunas IN. In 2025, the White Hall and other premises will also return to its tradition of registering civil marriages.
