Rotterdam museums

A selection of Rotterdam museums you must visit during your stay in Rotterdam

Cultural live is vibrant in Rotterdam. There is a broad selection of museums in Rotterdam. From modern art to historical treasures, from architecture to photography, from historical ships to exotic animals – just about anything you can imagine is displayed in a museum in the city. Prominent museums include the Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, the Netherlands Architecture Institute, the Kunsthal, the Wereldmuseum (World Arts Museum), the Maritime Museum, the Netherlands Photomuseum and the Historical Museum of Rotterdam. In addition, there are many interesting galleries and provocative expositions at locations such as the Las Palmas warehouse.

Maritiem Museum Rotterdam

The Maritime Museum Rotterdam has an important collection, dating back in part to 1852.The collection comprises some half a million maritime objects, classified into ship models, paintings, prints and drawings, a cartographic collection of atlases, ship’s charts and globes, shipbuilding blueprints, photos, films and videos, navigation instruments, nautical instruments, ship’s furnishings, numerous implements and utensils, and personal documents and clothing. The museum houses a number of semi-permanent exhibitions, including the completely updated interactive exhibit for children, Professor Plons. Also featuring a changing programme of exhibits.

• Address: Leuvehaven 1, 3011 EA Rotterdam

Wereldmuseum Rotterdam

The World Arts Museum centres around encounters and cross-cultural inspiration. The museum stimulates and surprises its visitors with contemporary and historical cultures from both far and near, through unusual exhibitions and events.

• Address: Willemskade 25, 3016 DM Rotterdam

Kunsthal Rotterdam 

An exhibition hall that houses some 25 expositions annually. The Kunsthal displays culture in the broadest sense of the word: traditional art, new art, design, photography, from elitist to popular. 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 3300 m2 of exhibition space in a striking building, designed by Rem Koolhaas and a true work of art all on its own.

• Address: Museumpark – Westzeedijk 341, 3015 AA Rotterdam

Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen 

The museum, founded in 1849, houses a rich, broad collection that can be generally grouped into four wings: Old Art, with masterpieces such as Breughel’s Tower of Babel. 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 Margritte and Dali. The programme of exhibits changes periodically.

• Address: Museumpark 18-20, 3015 CX Rotterdam