It is located on the right bank of the Limmat River opposite the old town and once guarded the narrows between the Schlossberg to the west (with Stein Castle) and the Lägern to the east.

The castle is located in a hollow at the narrowest point of the Baden valley, on the right bank of the Limmat near Lägerngrat.

Landvogtei Castle forms the lower-lying counterpart to the ruins of the stone on the Schlossberg, together with the city tower and the parish church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, it has a significant impact on the cityscape.

The main wing, built around the castle tower and oriented in the north–south direction, has the shape of a folded ellipse.

The museum covers the history of the city from Roman times to the present day, including the development of the baths and industry.

Access to the bridge was through an archway, a wall led from the building to the Lägernkopf and thus completely sealed off the passage on the right bank of the Limmat.

In 1690–1692, in the course of the expansion of the municipal fortifications, bastions with drop bridges were built directly next to the castle on the access roads to Ehrendingen and Wettingen, amid strong protests from Zurich, but with the approval of the Catholic towns.

Finally, in 1909–1912, the architect Otto Dorer carried out a comprehensive restoration in order to prepare the castle for its future function as a museum.