Museums in Rotterdam
Rotterdam has many museums. Well known museums are the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, the Netherlands Architecture Institute, the Wereldmuseum, the Kunsthal, Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art and the Maritime Museum Rotterdam. The Historical Museum Rotterdam has changed into Museum Rotterdam which aims to exhibit Rotterdam as a contemporary transnational city, and not a past city.
Other museums include the tax museum and the natural history museum. At the historical shipyard and museum Scheepswerf ‘De Delft’, the reconstruction of ship of the line Delft can be visited.
- Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Museumpark 18-20 (Metro: Eendrachtsplein), ☎ +31 (10) 441 94 00 (fax: +31 (10) 436 05 00). Tue-Sun: 11.00AM to 5.00PM; Mon: closed. The museum, founded in 1849, houses a rich, broad collection that can be generally grouped into four wings: Old Art, with masterpieces such as Pieter Brueghel the Elder’s The “little” Tower of Babel (1563). The collection of Prints and Drawings and the collection of Applied Arts and Design with their international allure. And the Modern Art wing has an important collection of surrealism, prominently featuring Salvador Dalí and René Magritte.
Adult: €12,50; child under 18: free entry, students € 6,25.
- Kunsthal, Westzeedijk 341 (Metro: Eendrachtsplein, tram 8), ☎ +31 (10) 440 03 01. Tue-Sat: 10.00AM – 5.00PM; Sun: 11.00AM – 5.00PM. <. An exhibition hall that houses some 25 expositions annually. The Kunsthal often experiments with themes that have never been used for an exhibition before. This approach produces a fascinating and widely varied repertoire. In total, the Kunsthal has 3,300 m² of exhibition space in a striking building, designed by OMA (Rem Koolhaas / Fuminori Hoshino) and is a true work of art all on its own. Adult: €11,00; child 6-18: €2.00; child under 6: free entry, students € 5,50.
- Het Nieuwe Instituut (The New Institute) formerly known as NAI, Museumpark 25 (Metro: Eendrachtsplein), ☎ +31 (10) 440 12 00 (info@nai.nl, fax: +31 (10) 436 69 75). Tu-Sa: 10:00-17:00; Su: 11:00-17:00. Closed on Mondays, 1 jan, 30 apr and 25 dec. The ticket for the NAI also provides access to Sonneveld House Museum. Adult: €8.00; child 12-18: €5.00; child 4-11: €1; child under 4: free entry.
- Nederlands Fotomuseum, Las Palmas building, Wilhelminakade 332 (Metro: Wilhelminaplein, tram 20,23,25), ☎ +31 (10) 213 20 11 (info@nederlandsfotomuseum.nl, fax: +31 (10) 203 04 06). Tue-Fri: 10.00AM – 5.00PM; Sat-Sun: 11.00AM – 5.00PM. The Nederlands Fotomuseum focuses on photography in the broadest sense of the word. By doing so, the museum wants to show the diversity of forms of photography. Not only as an artistic form of expression, but also and especially as a medium of social expression and commentary. Adult: €6; child under 12: free entry.
- Maritime Museum, Leuvehaven 1 (Metro: Beurs,tram 7), ☎ +31 (10) 413 26 80 (fax: +31 (10) 413 73 42). Tue-Sat: 10.00AM – 5.00PM; Sun: 11.00AM – 5.00PM; Mon: 10.00AM – 5.00PM in July and August as well as during school holidays in Rotterdam. A variety of expositions about the harbour of Rotterdam and maritime history. The museum also has an outdoor part. Adult: €7.50;group + 15 people: 5 €; child 4-16: €3.00; child under 4: free entry.
- Museum of Chess-Pieces, Overblaak 94 (Metro: Blaak). saturday and sunday 14-17. This little museum can be found among the famous Cube houses and houses a diverse collection of chess games. From ancient Chinese to all sorts of cartoon characters. Adult: €4; child (<13): €2;.
- Chabot Museum, Museumpark 11 (Metro: Eendrachtsplein). Mo-Fri: 11.00 – 16.30; Sat: 11.00-17.00; Sun: 12.00 – 17.00. This neat little museum is housed in a splendid modernist 30’s villa. It houses a collection of works of the expressionist painter Hendrik Chabot. A very recommendable if short visit for art lovers. Adult: €6.50; child under 12: free entry.
- Natuurhistorisch Museum, Westzeedijk 345 (Next to the Kunsthal, Metro: Eendrachtsplein,tram 8). Tue-Sun: 10.00AM – 5.00PM. The “Natural History Museum” Is situated in the Museumpark, near Boijmans, the NAi and the Kunsthal. It has changing expositions and a fixes collection of mammals, plants and fossiles. The current director Kees Moeiliker became famous in 2003 for winning a scientific prize on his study and book about the strange behouvior of a duck in the garden of the museum. His predecessor did a lot for the whales and left his collection at the museum. Adult: €4.00; child 4-15: €2.00; child under 4: free entry.
- Wereldmuseum, Willemskade 25 (Metro: Leuvehaven,tram 7), ☎ +31 (10) 270 71 72 (bibliotheek@wereldmuseum.rotterdam.nl, fax: +31 (10) 270 71 82). Tue-Sun: 10.30 – 17.30. The Wereldmuseum (World Arts Museum) focuses on encounters and cross-cultural inspiration. Adult: €12.50; children t/m 12 free.
- Witte de With, Witte de Withstraat 50 (Metro: Eendrachtsplein), ☎ +31 (0)10 4110144 (info@wdw.nl, fax: +31 (0)10 4117924). Tue-Sun: 11.00AM – 6.00PM. Witte de With(Centre for Contemporary Arts) exhibits, lectures, multimedia for comtemporary arts. Adult: €6,00 Witte de With, €2,00 discount: < under 18 / students / CJP / seniors / groups (min. 10), Free: < under 12 / CKV / Rotterdampas, MJK is valid.
- Mariniersmuseum, Wijnhaven 7-13 (Metro: Blaak). Tue-Fri: 10:00-17:00, Sat,Sun: 11:00-17:00. The museum of the Marine Corps is situated in a historic building in the Oude Haven. It shows the history of the 340 years-old corps as well as it’s modern day role. Special attention is given to the heroic role of the corps in the 1940 defence of Rotterdam. In the nearby White House you can still notice the bulletholes in the stone wall.
- Oorlogs Verzets Museum, Coolhaven 375 (Metro: Coolhaven, it’s under the bridge). Tue-Fri: 10:00-17:00,Sun: 12:00-17:00. The small ‘War and Resistance Museum’ paints life in Rotterdam and the Netherlands during the Second World War. Attention is also given to the military developments of the time and the destruction of the city of Rotterdam. Lectures and evenings with documentaries are often on the programm. € 4,00, children € 2,00.
- Miniworld Rotterdam, Weena 745 (Near Rotterdam Centraal). opening hours see website. It’s the largest indoor model railroad layout of The Netherlands.