Museum De Lakenhal
Museum De Lakenhal
4.5
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Museum De Lakenhal is the visual arts, history and crafts museum of the city of Leiden. The city’s illustrious past is highlighted in seven collection presentations, including The Cradle of the Golden Age, Leiden University City, The Siege and Relief of Leiden, and Seven Centuries of ‘Leids Laken’. The internationally renowned collection contains numerous highlights such as Lucas van Leyden’s ‘Last Judgment’ (approximately 1526-27), beautifully stained glass, and paintings by Rembrandt and contemporaries. Since 1874 the museum has been located in a monumental 17thcentury hall for woollen fabrics, carefully restored in 2017-2019 and expanded with modern architecture. The unique encounters between past and present that occur here make Museum De Lakenhal a source of inspiration for all!
Suggested duration
1-2 hours
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
209 reviews
Excellent
96
Very good
85
Average
22
Poor
3
Terrible
3
Lilou
Leiden, The Netherlands25 contributions
Jan 2020
The building has been beautifully restored and the exhibition of young Rembrandt and the rest of the collection were amazing. However we encountered two unprofessional and rude security guards who unfortunately spoiled our afternoon at the museum. My cousin who has tongue cancer and has recently been operated took a sip of water from a small bottle she was carrying in her bag due to dryness in her mouth. The guard walked up to us in an aggressively manner and told us that this wasn’t permitted. I told him on her behalf (she doesn’t speak Dutch) that i could definitely understand the warning and tried to explain her condition. He told us in return that he had a cold himself and being ill was no excuse!! We were so shocked at this incredibly insensitive rude response that we were speechless.
After an hour and a half of entering the museum i was approached by another guard who said my handbag was too large to be walking around with. I told him that his colleague had seen my bag on entry and had let me through, why was it a problem now if it wasn’t a problem when entering??! I still had to leave the exhibition hall to put my bag in a locker which was truly interrupting. Ten minutes later, the same security guard (obviously frustrated by my comment) approached my cousin telling her to carry her bag (small hand bag) infront of her and not on her side.
The inconsistency regarding rules and regulations and the disrespectful/cocky approach of some members of staff clearly needs attention in this otherwise lovely museum.
After an hour and a half of entering the museum i was approached by another guard who said my handbag was too large to be walking around with. I told him that his colleague had seen my bag on entry and had let me through, why was it a problem now if it wasn’t a problem when entering??! I still had to leave the exhibition hall to put my bag in a locker which was truly interrupting. Ten minutes later, the same security guard (obviously frustrated by my comment) approached my cousin telling her to carry her bag (small hand bag) infront of her and not on her side.
The inconsistency regarding rules and regulations and the disrespectful/cocky approach of some members of staff clearly needs attention in this otherwise lovely museum.
Written January 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dutch Brother
Boston, MA563 contributions
Sep 2022
This is a great city museum and should not be missed. It is a combination art and history museum, but what art and history. They have three Rembrandt paintings from when he lived in Leiden, as well as numerous other 17th century Dutch Golden Age paintings. The history side of the museum emphasizes the linen industry which led to Leiden's rapid growth and prosperity during the 1600s. Lakenhal means drapers hall. This building is where the drapers guild did their business, mainly enforcing quality standards, so there is a good exhibit about that. The museum is well laid out, and the exhibit spaces are attractive. It is just the right size, large enough to be worth the visit, but not too big to see it all in an hour or so.
Written October 5, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Henk58
Rotterdam, The Netherlands8 contributions
Jun 2020
The exhibition on the pilgrim fathers was excellent. Never knew that Thanksgiving came from the Plymouth Plantation and that there were 90 locals present. More people then had survived the winter of 1619-1620. A pity that so few Americans visit at the moment with Corona because it s for them of course most interesting. Specially the ties with Amsterdam (English Church, Begijnhof) and Leiden compose a rather unknown history for most American visitors. But also for the Dutch their 17th. century ties to these first settlers is largely unknown. So the whole exhibition gives interesting insights in the time, hardships and lives of these settlers.
Written June 22, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dar268
Greater London, UK164 contributions
May 2023 • Solo
The museum surpassed expectations. It’s a beautiful building with an interesting history linked to the textile trade and the collection was very good… from Renaissance to modern. The Lucas van Leyden altarpiece is naturally the standout but I also enjoyed the Jan Lievens pieces plus it’s fun to see Rembrandt’s awkward early paintings with only little traces of the greatness that was to follow. I enjoyed the two songs on the music app inspired by the Leyden altarpiece! It was Saturday but still very quiet when I was there so it was very peaceful. The cafe was lovely and the staff were particularly welcoming. There was a temporary exhibition on David Bailly which was well conceived and had some fine loan pieces. One of the most thoughtfully curated museums.
Written May 27, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pepperwell
Bath, UK30 contributions
Oct 2023 • Couples
A beautifully housed collection of dull exhibits. A couple of very early Rembrandt. Otherwise, likely to appeal to those with an interest in second rank, Dutch, 17th century art and the cloth industry. Entry price, €16 per person.
Written October 27, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bernie
3 contributions
Aug 2020 • Solo
In a beautiful building situated museum on Leidens history. Very interesting expositions about the early dutch cloth industry and Leiden as main dutch commercial center in the 15th century. Unfortunately, no signposting and rude and unhelpfull staff.
Written August 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Marco_Polo499
Milan, Italy273 contributions
Jul 2014 • Couples
Leiden is the city where Rembrandt van Rijn was born. Leiden was also the cradle of one of the most famous Dutch painting schools: the Leiden school. So it’s no surprise that Leiden has a museum dedicated to painting. “Not a very popular one”, I thought, noting that a limited number of reviews had so far been made by the Tripadvisor folk, and most of them by Dutch people. With this prejudice in mind, I expected to see some sort of provincial museum showing secondary works. But I was terribly wrong. The museum is a gem, and aroused my enthusiasm right from the first room: the artistic level of the paintings is very high, information on the paintings and on the painters is abundant and exhaustive (both in Dutch and in English), there is a very robust theme connecting the material exposed (namely the development of the Leiden painting school and the history of the city) and the setting is historically evocative.
The exhibitions. On the ground floor the history of the Leiden painting school is narrated, starting from Cornelis Engebrechtsz (the initiator of the Leiden school; an amazingly good painter), continuing with the works of such big artists as Rembrandt, Lucas van Leiden, Frans van Mieris, Jan Lievens and many others working with them, and concluding with a selection of good paintings of the 19th and 20th century. The paintings displayed on the second floor deal with the making of drapes, main economic activity of Leiden for several centuries, and those of the third floor narrate the political and historical life of the city, with emphasis on the famous siege of the year 1574. On the whole, this is a well designed and likable museum, where the visitor is pleasantly guided by the hand through the culture and history of Leiden.
During my visit the museum hosted a temporary exhibition of the works of another illustrious son of Leiden: Gerrit Dou (pronunciation “heritt dow”, 1613-75) At first he was a pupil of Rembrandt, but he rapidly became one of the most reputed (and expensive) painters of his time. Strangely enough, he is not very popular with the modern public, although he is an absolutely stunning artist; his paintings – mainly portraits and interior scenes - are an epitome of what is normally meant by “Dutch painting”: he caught the poetic essence of the everyday life, permeated the space with light and dedicated maniacal attention to the details. It was obvious for me to draw a parallel with Vermeer who, in the same years, was producing his masterworks in Delft, only 25 kilometres away from Leiden.
The museum is right in the centre of the city, no more than 400 metres away from the railway station. It is in a historical palace which overlooks a nice canal and was built in 1640; the palace formerly was the main seat of the Leiden drapes trade (“de Lakenhal” means “the Hall of drapes”). The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the weekdays, and from 12 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the weekend; it is closed on Monday. Admission is 7.50 €, with reduction to 4.50 € for elders. Infrastructures include: toilets, cloak-room, lifts, a minuscule bookshop where – alas - only books in Dutch language are available. It is possible to take pictures, although sometimes the light is not sufficient for a good result. The museum is accessible to disabled people. The personnel speaks good English. The visit can take one hour and is very rewarding.
The exhibitions. On the ground floor the history of the Leiden painting school is narrated, starting from Cornelis Engebrechtsz (the initiator of the Leiden school; an amazingly good painter), continuing with the works of such big artists as Rembrandt, Lucas van Leiden, Frans van Mieris, Jan Lievens and many others working with them, and concluding with a selection of good paintings of the 19th and 20th century. The paintings displayed on the second floor deal with the making of drapes, main economic activity of Leiden for several centuries, and those of the third floor narrate the political and historical life of the city, with emphasis on the famous siege of the year 1574. On the whole, this is a well designed and likable museum, where the visitor is pleasantly guided by the hand through the culture and history of Leiden.
During my visit the museum hosted a temporary exhibition of the works of another illustrious son of Leiden: Gerrit Dou (pronunciation “heritt dow”, 1613-75) At first he was a pupil of Rembrandt, but he rapidly became one of the most reputed (and expensive) painters of his time. Strangely enough, he is not very popular with the modern public, although he is an absolutely stunning artist; his paintings – mainly portraits and interior scenes - are an epitome of what is normally meant by “Dutch painting”: he caught the poetic essence of the everyday life, permeated the space with light and dedicated maniacal attention to the details. It was obvious for me to draw a parallel with Vermeer who, in the same years, was producing his masterworks in Delft, only 25 kilometres away from Leiden.
The museum is right in the centre of the city, no more than 400 metres away from the railway station. It is in a historical palace which overlooks a nice canal and was built in 1640; the palace formerly was the main seat of the Leiden drapes trade (“de Lakenhal” means “the Hall of drapes”). The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the weekdays, and from 12 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the weekend; it is closed on Monday. Admission is 7.50 €, with reduction to 4.50 € for elders. Infrastructures include: toilets, cloak-room, lifts, a minuscule bookshop where – alas - only books in Dutch language are available. It is possible to take pictures, although sometimes the light is not sufficient for a good result. The museum is accessible to disabled people. The personnel speaks good English. The visit can take one hour and is very rewarding.
Written September 12, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mireille B
Ramnicu Valcea, Romania680 contributions
Aug 2019
First of all ,I realized that Leiden is a city opened to culture.I would have liked to find an English booklet about the history of the museum .The building that looked like an elegant palace impressed me by its beauty ,I was curious to see what gems It hides inside ,I had a Museum Card ,but I had to wait at the desk ,there were many tourists there in the afternoon .
The history and art museum tells several stories ,I was confused upstairs ,but step by step ,I painted ''my own painting''about the highlights of the collection .I was lucky to catch the temporary exhibition of Rembrandt ,the star of it was for me The peddler selling spectacles ,an early work of art and '' History painting ''.
A real challenge was the woolen cloth Merchant hall where I could see for the second time ,the masterpiece of Lucas van Leiden ,The last Judgment ,seen by me in Amsterdam two years ago ,in a temporary exhibition .I also liked the Lamentation of Christ by another significant painter from Leiden ,Cornelius E .
Gerrit Dou ,a student of Rembrandt danced in a small cabinet with The Astronomer as well as Jan Steen with the joyful The Merry Couple for example ,they were my favourite Dutch painters of the Golden age ,too.
Upstairs I learnt that Theo van Doesburg stayed in Leiden where he founded the famous de Stijl movement ,The collection of decorative art and applied art was also interesting.
The history and art museum tells several stories ,I was confused upstairs ,but step by step ,I painted ''my own painting''about the highlights of the collection .I was lucky to catch the temporary exhibition of Rembrandt ,the star of it was for me The peddler selling spectacles ,an early work of art and '' History painting ''.
A real challenge was the woolen cloth Merchant hall where I could see for the second time ,the masterpiece of Lucas van Leiden ,The last Judgment ,seen by me in Amsterdam two years ago ,in a temporary exhibition .I also liked the Lamentation of Christ by another significant painter from Leiden ,Cornelius E .
Gerrit Dou ,a student of Rembrandt danced in a small cabinet with The Astronomer as well as Jan Steen with the joyful The Merry Couple for example ,they were my favourite Dutch painters of the Golden age ,too.
Upstairs I learnt that Theo van Doesburg stayed in Leiden where he founded the famous de Stijl movement ,The collection of decorative art and applied art was also interesting.
Written September 4, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AnnArborMHT
Genoa, Italy1,677 contributions
Jun 2018 • Solo
Very disappointed that this museum is now closed for restoration. It is scheduled to reopen Spring 2019. Website isn't very for coming about where or if any of their valuable art or artifacts can be located elsewhere in the city.
Written June 12, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
francien2015
Rotterdam, The Netherlands1,080 contributions
Mar 2017
The Lakenhal in Leiden shows a lot about the trade in Laken a wool fabric which trived the cities economy. Next to that the museum is a city museum which tell about Leiden in an informative way. Recommendable for a visit
Written March 22, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
fotographeratm
Istanbul, Türkiye243 contributions
Küçük çocuğum için de bilet satın almam gerekiyor mu?
Museum De Lakenhal
Leiden, The Netherlands
No, children under 18 years old don't need a ticket. Enjoy your visit!
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Frequently Asked Questions about Museum De Lakenhal
- Hotels near Museum De Lakenhal:
- (0.07 mi) City Hotel Rembrandt
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Museum De Lakenhal Information
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