City Museum, Groningen

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This is the most expensive museum in Groningen, and in my opinion the least interesting.

I paid € 13.00 for admission in 2012 and all I saw was a jumble of second-rate temporary exhibitions. Supposedly the museum has a large Collection of artworks and whatnot that they have been collecting for over a century, but hardly any of this was on display when I was there.

They even admit this on their website: “Because the exhibitions change regularly, hardly anything from the Collection is permanently on display. So please take note that work featured on the website may not be on display at the time of your visit.”

Construction of the museum was delayed for a year in the 1990s because property owners from a nearby affluent neighborhood filed suit, saying the construction of such a gaudy modern building would lower their property values. (This has not happened, as far as I know.)

The museum, which was opened in 1994, stands knee-deep in water in a wide place in the canal between the central station and the city center. Having a museum standing constantly in water is not really a very good idea, and in fact after only fifteen years it had to be closed for six months in 2010 for a thorough renovation.

Actually the museum consists of three buildings, each by a different architect. They are connected by a common bottom floor that is half under water. One of the three buildings is colorful in a trashy sort of way (first photo); the other two are boring but inoffensive.

What makes the museum island a lively and interesting place (despite the museum) is that it forms the main pedestrian and bicycle route between the city center and the main station, so there are constantly lots of people walking and riding through or waiting for the drawbridge to go down.

Next: The old Groningen Museum

This beautiful old building was the home of the Groningen Museum for a full century, from 1894 to 1994, and again from May to December 2010.

What happened in 2010 was that the new building was in need of a major renovation only fifteen years after it had opened, so the museum moved back into the old building for half a year while the renovation work was going on.

That will not be possible next time, however, because the old museum building has now been sold to the Hanze University of Applied Sciences for use as part of their School for Fine Art and Design, the Academy Minerva.

Although the new building of the Groningen Museum gets lots of visitors, there still seem to be numerous people in Groningen who think the old building was better.

(By the way, the new museum is usually referred to as the Groninger Museum, with an –r at the end, whereas the old museum is called the Groningen Museum, with an –n. I don’t know if there is any particular reason for this, or if the two forms are simply interchangeable.)

Next: VVV Tourist information

Mainly designed by an Italian Architecht (Mendini)

Anyway it's really quite unique- Normally you'd expect a building to be square-ish, but this 3 floor building sort of pops out in all kinds of places, in the morning the colors of outside walls look bright and interesting, and is over water. They host several art work, mainly modern, every now and then and have a cute Cafe'

Admission is around EUR 6 for adults.

This is 'The Groninger Museum', a building from modern architecture, people likes it or likes it not. In the Museum is modern art as old chinees art. This building is in the canal opposite the central station.

Some people like the building others hate it...
Either way the building where the Groninger museum is displaying art is always a topic.

The building is designed by Alessandro Mendini, and some parts by Michele De Lucchi, Philippe Starck and Coop Himmelblau.

The museum houses modern art, and there are often new expostions.
Children between 6 and 12 can join in a see and do tour. They get a walkman and have to do some assignments. Price: € 2,50. The tour is called Vestini.

Opening times:
Tuesday -sunday: 10-17
Entrance Fee:
5: free
5-15 : 3,50 euro
adults: 7,00 euro

The museum of Groningen is very very modern, not only from the outside but also from the inside. You should really take a visit to their website to see waht you can expect, since I haven't visited the Museum itself. The building is 100% art, no doubt about it. Although it is art, you will either like the building or you'll hate it.

Several years ago when first was public talk about a new museum many people from the city opposed to the building on this particularly spot ... the broadest point of the canal where once boats could either turn or harbour.
I still do not like the building on this place but since they started to break down all that is old around the station and replace it with stupid blocks they call modern architecture I guess it fits in ok...too bad the old buidlings behind the museum and the central train station seem to be out of place somehow!!
Sigh....wish it were as it once were...so much more 'schmoel' ... erm this area gave face to the city...now it s just an out of place playground for politicians to try out new architecture and spent public money...
Let s just hope those politicians never get hold of the central market square "Grote Markt"!!! Can t imagine our local pride the Martini tower or 'our grey one' in the middle of modern architecture!

The relatively new museum already had a few controversial expositions. Currently (2002): Ilja Repin (1844-1930). Russian painter depicting Russian life. Also known as the Rembrandt of Russia.

fax: + 31 (0)50 3120815
info: + 31 (0)900-8212132

If you visit the website I advise you to choose the Limited Version because the Full Version gives a lot of pop up windows (all to do with the Groninger museum) and sometimes the computer freezes.

The Groninger Museum is a place you can visit when you are in Groningen. This museum is designed by the Italian achitect Mendini.

The museum is a good example of the modern architecture in Groningen.
In this museum you can see a lot of exhibitions from several artists. These exhibitions regularly change.
There has been an exhibition of Jeff Koons and at this moment there is an exhibition of the famous Dutch photographer Anton Corbijn. This exhibition was opened by U2 singer Bono.

It is very difficult to say what is exposed in the museum because it changes regularly. When you are in Groningen just see for yourself.

The Groninger museum, climb the Martini Tower, drink tea in the Prinsentuin (Princes Garden)
the museum is full of modern art, old regional art.
From the Martini Tower you have a great view over the town.
And drinking tea in the Prinsentuin is so relaxing