In 1998, marking the 70th anniversary of Salacgrīva, the town decided to set up a museum. 70 years was a sufficiently significant figure to inspire pride in the town’s rich cultural heritage and a desire to preserve, explore and present it to the public. 10 years on, with the 80th anniversary of the town, Salacgrīva Museum is celebrated the 10th anniversary since its foundation.

The museum is currently located at 2 Sila Street, a building constructed in 1989 on the foundation of the town’s old public hall. However, the staff associate their permanent future home with the building on 10 Rīgas Street, designed for museum functions by young architects Ansis Klīdzējs and Austris Mailītis. Immediately after the official establishment of the museum, efforts began to build the collection. Objects were sought and selected with a view to illuminating the distant and not so distant past of Salacgrīva and its surroundings.