Begun in 1542 and predominantly late-Baroque in style with elements of early Classicism and Gothic architecture, the swan-like Old (as in former) Town Hall has been used as an ammunition dump, a prison, a palace, a Russian theatre, a church and a club of ill repute over the centuries and is today used as a wedding palace as well as a place to host formal occasions and as the home of the city’s Ceramics Museum. The telescopic-looking tower is 53 metres high, thrusting above the marvellous open square in which it takes pride of place. Originally it housed a few shops on the ground floor, while municipal functions took place on the floor above and prisoners were locked up in the basement. The place was given a makeover in 1780 under the direction of the architect Jan Mattekier. Among other things, statues of Lithuania’s Grand Dukes were added but they vanished before the place was turned into a church in 1824. In 1837 the Russians decided to change the building into a road house for the tsar, then from 1869 until WWII it was again used as municipal offices. In 1969 the building got another facelift courtesy of the architect Žibartas Simanavičius, and in 1973 it was returned to the municipality. Now its main function is as a wedding hall. Showing up on a Saturday to see the parade of brides, balloons and fancy cars is well worth the trip. The square in which it's located was originally the centre of economic life in the city. The foundation stone was laid on July 28, 1542, and the square now serves as a popular meeting and greeting place during the hot summer months, featuring a clutch of excellent bars safely deposited under canvas just in case, all of them operated by the restaurants already established around the edge of the square. During the winter an outdoor ice-skating rink is built in front of the Old Town Hall, complete with stalls selling hot food and drink.