The castle complex as we see it now was being built from the XIIIth till the XXth century. The very first fortifications occured on the castle rock in times of Hallstatt culture (from the VIIIth to VIth centuries BC). Though the castle was first mentioned in document in 1267, it is considered to be founded in the first half of the XIIIth century. This fortification was located on the region border and was used for protection of trade routes from Hungary to Poland. Orava castle belonged to king Béla IV and his successors till the XVIIth century and then it became the property of Thurzó family.

The citadel built in the XIIIth century is the oldest part of the castle. Its old central part made in Roman style was reconstructed in the XVIth century as a Renaissance building. The citadel had a defensive function when surroundings were being attacked. Galleries and corridors in citadel created the best conditions for observation the castle surroundings and enemy troop movement. The cistern filled with rain provided fresh water for garrison.

In the XIIIth century a square tower, dungeon, was built and nowadays it is considered to be the oldest part of the castle made in the Middle Ages. Its rooms were used for residental and defensive purpose. In the XVth century king Matthias Corvinus gave orders to build a Renaissance residental palace which was named after him. John of Dubovec finished building works in the Middle Castle by making two defensive bastions — the Eastern and the Western one. He also built up the fourth floor in the residental palace. In the XVIth century when the castle belonged to the mine owner Ferenc Thurzó there was made a well (90 m depth). He also built a one-storey residental wing close to the western castle wall.

Fortified settlements existed nearby the Lower Castle from the XIIIth century and lately became the essential part of the whole castle. The tower of the Archives is the only bastion which nowadays has its original view.

During the centuries of its existence the castle was used as a defensive complex and as a residental place and has lots of rich and noble owners: king Béla IV, Matúš Čák Trenčanský, Master Donch, king Charles Robert, Stibor of Stiboricz, Peter Komorovský, king Matthias Corvinus, John of Dubovec, etc. Since Orava castle became the property of noble family Thurzó (in the middle of the XVIth century), a significant building activity took place there. On the cusp of the XVIth and XVIIth centuries Thurzós reconstructed the castle fixing it step by step. The modern look Orava castle achieved during the reign of György Thurzó. In 1800 the castle was seriously damaged by the fire lasting for several days. All wooden parts of the Middle and the Lower Castles were burnt. Some objects were reconstructed right after the fire under the guidance of Francis Zichy (director of composesorat — the local administration). The second significant reconstruction of the castle was led by Ján Pallfy in 1906-1912. In 1868 the part of the castle was given for founding a museum on the initiative of William Rowland and sponsored by Ödön Zichy, the administrator of the property (composesorat). Nowadays Orava museum is one of the oldest museums in whole Slovakia.