Museums, Leiden

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The Museum van Volkenkunde is one of the oldest ethnological museums in the world.
In the museum collection are over 200,000 objects and 500,000 audiovisual sources from all over the globe.
The museum was founded in1837 and now is housed in the former Academic Hospital dating from 1873.

There are regular special exhibitions on a specific theme or about a specific country.

Opening Hours:
Mo: Closed
Tu-Su: 10AM - 5PM

Admission: €11.00 (adult)

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The Dutch National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden is, imo, an exemplar of how to make a museum interesting for all visitors without dumbing-down and without removing almost all artefacts from display.

I particularly like the way it is set out in chronological order, with the top (third) floor displaying the oldest artefacts within a beautifully-designed...and literal...time-line which takes you from the very earliest inhabitants of what is now the Netherlands up to much more recent times.

The second floor has the Roman artefacts. There's a particularly impressive collection of Roman altars and an entirely unique stone coffin with its interior 'fully-furnished' for pleasure of the lady who lay within. There are also Etruscan and ancient Greek sculptures, gravestone an pottery on display on this floor.

The ground floor has a complete Ancient Egyptian temple...the temple of Taffeh, which was given to the Dutch by the Egyptian government in acknowledgement of their help in saving the Nubian monuments near Abu Simbel (anything which remained was flooded when the Aswan Dam was created). There is also a good collection of mummies, mummycases (including some later ones with coffin portraits) and other AE artefacts.

The whole museum is light and airy with an 'uncrowded' feel and many of the displays have English language labelling, which is very helpful. There's a circular glass lift which takes you from floor to floor (and stairs as well) so the museum is accessible for those with mobility difficulties.

There's a small cafe, a cloakroom area (free..just rows of coatpegs..but there are also lockers available for bags) and sparklingly-clean toilets.

For anyone with any interest in ancient history this museum is an absolute 'must-see' if you visit Leiden and...to be honest..it's worth making a visit to Leiden from e.g. Amsterdam just to visit it.

Open Tuesdays to Sundays: 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m (during school holidays also open on Mondays: 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m). Closed on 1 January, 30 April, 3 October, 25 December.

Entrance fee in April 2013 was 9.50 euro (and worth every cent!).

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Naturalis, Nature Historical Museum

Naturalis is a very interesting museum especially for kids. Butterflies, Dinosaurs, Apes etc. etc.
Lots of interesting facts about the animals. Impressive skeletons as for example a kind of crocodile!

Opening hours
Tuesday-Friday 10 am - 5 pm, closed on Monday.
Saturday-Sunday 10 am - 6 pm
During school vacations and on public holidays: Monday-Sunday 10 am - 6 pm
Closed 30 april, 25 December and 1 January.

Admission
children under 4 free
children 4 - 12 € 5,00
children 13 - 17 € 6,00
Adults € 9,00
'Museumkaart' free

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A fascinating museum dedicated to natural science and medicine. A very broad collection of artifacts, instruments, skeletons, st up animals, artifacts on strong water etc.

You can do some tests yourself and discover things on gravity etc. Also fascinating for kids. They get a complete quizzbook to answer questions in the museum.

Opening hours
Tuesday-Saturday 10.00 – 17.00 hrs
Sundays and holidays 12.00 – 17.00 hrs

The Boerhaave Museum is also open on
Mondays 10 – 17h during short school holidays.

Closed
Mondays and January 1

Admission
Adults € 6
Under 19, 65+, CJP, NS cards and groups of 10 or more € 3
MK, ICOM and children under 5 free

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This museum has the largest collection of old cultures in the Netherlands. Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Etruskian artifacts. So when you are in Leiden and want to snif on some old culture come to this museum. They also have nice things to do for kids. Beautiful exhibitions like jewelry etc.

Opening hours

Tuesdays up to Fridays: 10.00-17.00 hrs
Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays: 12.00-17.00 hrs
Mondays: closed, with the exception of Monday, 22 October (autumn holiday)
the museum will be closed on 1 January, 30 April,3 October and 25 December

Entrance fees

Entrance museum 2007:
"Budget Ticket" 2 adults and 2 children (4 until 17 years) € 25.00
Adults € 8,50
Children (4 until 17 years) € 5,50
Seniors (65 and older) and CJP-card holders € 7,50
Dutch ‘Museum card’ free

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Mine host went on to explain many things, one of which was a beer brewing tile from a monastery. I always find it odd that monastries used to provide beer when, it later times, it was a fanatical religious bent that led to its banning in certain countries.
He also explained how horses' bones were used for children's sleds and also to make ice skates such as were used to attack the Spaniards, much to their surprise.
I also learnt how the leather manufacturer required the head and one horn to work out the age of an animal and thus determine its suitability for manufacture of leather goods.
However, when we came to the wood panel it was my turn. "Is there some significance in the fact that it's displayed upside down?" I queried. Mine host was clearly shocked as I pointed out to him how, if you studied it, there had clearly been a motif and all things rose from that. He was at once surprised and gratified but I reassured him that I had discovered problems at no lesser places than the Wallace Collection and the British Museum in London and had arrived at the conclusion that I was the only one in the world who actually read inscriptions and took note of what they were actually viewing. Can't wait to get to the Louvre!
They had many other items there, such as the coins for the poor. These were vouchers and their purpose is indicated by the letter inscribed on them, e.g. "B" for bread and "D" for blankets.

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I'm now constantly reminded of this place. This place that I stumbled across that isn't yet listed in the local guide books. Why? Let me explain at length.
It was my last afternoon and I was determined to see the old fort. Thus it was that I found myself walking down Leiden's prettiest street when I came upon some advertising for a museum. Unknowing, I took up the challenge and went through the portal to find myself in a large courtyard (see pics 1&2), at the end of which was the entry to the museum.
The museum had one thing going for it, it was free. It also had another, the host. He was the epitome of genial; couldn't do enough for me; gave me a guided tour around every item. Of course, this also had much to do with the fact that business was, shall we say, less than brisk, though my entry was followed by two other couples, thus more than doubling his numbers for the day.
The museum all came about because an old paper works had been unearthed dating from the 15th to 16th centuries. This led to several discoveries and somewhere was needed to house the results of the dig and so this building had some space and that's where it all came. (See next tip)

The Naturalis is the National Museum of Natural History and is located just outside the center of Leiden, on the backside of the trainstation, in a large, modern building. If you have trouble finding it, just look for the "monuments to rust", which are large rusty statues, on the side of the road.

It is a very large museum with several floors (4-5) that will take ages to visit thoroughly.
There is always some kind of special exhibition and at the time of writing it is "Heart at work, A special exhibiton about the heart, blood and vessels".

The permanent exhibitions are:
- Nature Theater
- Primeval Parade
- Earth
- Life
- Earth inside
- Biotechnology
- Treasure Chamber

There is a lot to see and it can be very interesting. It is a very good way of spending time when the the day is not nice for a walk outside (yes, it does occasionally also happen to have bad weather in Leiden :))

Adults pay 9 Eur and children 5 (free if they are under 4 years old).
Opening hours are:
Tuesday-Sunday 10 am - 6 pm, closed on Monday.
During school vacations and on holidays: Monday-Sunday 10 am - 6 pm
(Closed 25 December and 1 January)

This is a Municipal Museum located in a precious, beautiful historic building that was designed by Arent van 's Gravesande.
In 1874 it was opened to the public as a museum.
In between 1640 and 1800 the building had a completely different function.

At that time the famous LEIDSE LAKEN (textile, fabric) was sampled and the gouvernors and "staalmeesters" (THE SYNDICS) met.
In the Museum you will get the chance to see and admire unique utensils..........

And of course the COMPLETE story of the siege and the Relief of the Siege of Leiden on October 3rd 1574.

The cloth-maker and merchants gathered in the courtyard where the SYNDICS took samples. Subsequently the sacks/bags went to the GUILD HALL, called DE BIG PRESS, where they got a lead seal. Seals have been found from Indonesia, South Africa and America.

On the outside walls of the LAKENHAL are wonderful decorations, reliefs.

During the 19th Century the LAKENHALL was used as a emergency hospital, if needed and in 1874 the place became a real MUSEUM.....

There are precious collections of silver flatware and ingraved glass, tiles and tinware.

Most glorious paintings from the best Dutch artists of e.g. the Dutch Landscape and....and....there is far too much to list it all here so I can only advise you: go and see that wonderful place, feel and smell that special atmosphere....

My favourite painter whose work is also in the LAKENHAL is FLORIS VERSTER........magnificent!

OPEN: Tuesdays through Fridays 10AM - 5PM
Saturdays & Sundays midday - 5PM
October 3rd 10AM till midday.

For guided tours (groups) make reservations about 3 weeks in advance....this place is very sought-after.

The start of this museum was the private collection of Willem IV which he began during the 18th Century.

Willem I founded the Koninklijk Penningkabinet in 1816 and then the museum made its real start collecting more and more: coins from Greece and the Roam Empire and of course Dutch coins.

There are coins from different ships that had sunk to the bottom of the sea: all in all there is a wealth to be enjoyed.
There are e.g. some stamps from MESOPOTAMIA, over 5000 years old and oh, so precious and emotional to see.

The collection counts up to 200.000 issues, each with its own history, story, country....
they all tell about kinds and emperors, technique, history, economy, archeology and art!

A most wonderful, well-filled TREASURE-TROVE.