Beginning May 18, the first phase of renovation work will commence at the House of Signatories, a branch of the National Museum of Lithuania (NML). Alongside the reconstruction of the historic spaces, part of a new permanent exhibition will also take shape – one dedicated to Jonas Basanavičius and designed with today’s visitor in mind, emphasizing greater accessibility to historical storytelling and deeper research into authentic artifacts.

As Lithuania marks the 175th anniversary of Jonas Basanavičius’ birth this year, visitors will be introduced to part of the new permanent exhibition in November, toward the close of the year. The museum’s renewal will unfold gradually, in stages, as spaces are modernized and adapted to better serve the public.

During the reconstruction, the museum’s interiors will be renovated, accessibility improvements will be introduced throughout the building, and visitor movement through the space will be carefully rethought. Additional structural adaptations are also planned to support the installation of the new exhibition and meet the demands of a contemporary museum environment.

According to NML Director General Rūta Kačkutė, the House of Signatories remains one of the most important sites preserving the memory of modern Lithuanian statehood, making its future preservation especially significant today.

“The House of Signatories safeguards a meaningful part of the country’s heritage – the testimonies of our statehood. Through this renewal, we aim to create a museum experience that feels closer to the contemporary visitor, allowing people to engage meaningfully with the country’s history, authentic museum treasures, and the historic events that unfolded within this house,” says R. Kačkutė.

Dalia Strimaitytė, director of the House of Signatories, says the new exhibition is being developed first and foremost with younger audiences in mind, while also seeking to remain engaging for families, schoolchildren, adults, seniors, and international visitors alike.

“The permanent exhibition at the House of Signatories was installed ten years ago, and today we see a need to fundamentally renew it. During that time, museum visitors’ expectations, educational methods, and accessibility standards have all changed. The new exhibition will allow us to present insights emerging from the latest academic research in ways that are contemporary, clear, and compelling for a wide range of audiences,” says D. Strimaitytė.

What Visitors Should Know

As renovation work begins at the House of Signatories, the museum plans to install the new section of the permanent exhibition in spaces accessible to visitors with mobility disabilities. Owing to the architectural characteristics of the historic building, however, overall accessibility throughout the museum will remain partial.

“In a historic building, ensuring complete physical accessibility is difficult because of heritage protection requirements and architectural limitations. Still, these renovation works represent an important step toward improving visitors’ ability to reach the museum’s spaces more comfortably. Alongside the renewed exhibition, we are working steadily to increase accessibility and improve the overall visitor experience,” says D. Strimaitytė.

Other activities are expected to continue in partially accessible spaces. As before, educational programs involving visitors with mobility disabilities will be relocated to fully accessible areas. Reaching those spaces will become easier thanks to the expansion of the elevator shaft, which will allow elevator access to every floor of the building.

“Because of the upcoming works, this is the final opportunity for visitors to see the current exhibition at the House of Signatories. Starting May 18, the museum will temporarily stop admitting individual visitors. During reconstruction, visits will be organized only for pre-registered groups,” says D. Strimaitytė.

The museum will also temporarily suspend participation in the free-admission initiative held on the last Sunday of each month beginning in May. Renovation work is expected to intensify over the summer, and in the second half of July the museum exhibition will close completely to visitors.

Even so, the House of Signatories will continue inviting the public to seasonal summer activities, including city tours and the museum’s escape-room experience, “The Missing Signatories’ Gift,” held in the Gothic cellars on Friday evenings after 17:00 and on weekends.

Visitors planning a trip to the House of Signatories are encouraged to check the latest information here.