Leiden American Pilgrim Museum
Leiden American Pilgrim Museum
Leiden American Pilgrim Museum
4.5
Wednesday
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Friday
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
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- Rachel B1 contributionlovely and fascinating little place!Such a nice little museum! And the guide was an actual expert on the era, so she was fascinating. Don't expect it to be huge, because it is tiny! But very rich despite its size. The guide and caretakers clearly care a lot about the place and the time. We went on Thanksgiving day, and it turns out !!Visited November 2023Traveled with familyWritten November 23, 2023
- julie hOxford, United Kingdom33 contributionsYou have to go to this fantastic museum!!This was one of the best museums I have ever been to!!! The guide (whose name I did not catch) brought the Pilgrims to life and answered all questions with an enthusiasm and depth of knowledge I have never come across before. The two small rooms were full of genuine historic items that we were allowed to touch including a bible from the early 1600’s! Truly amazing! Don’t miss the chance to experience this tiny but moving museum.Visited June 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten June 14, 2024
- fabdogWilliamsburg, Virginia471 contributionsTwo museums in oneThis is really two museums. You start in a house that could have been used by one of the pilgrim families who arrived in 1609 before earning in 1620 for England then on to America. It's the only house from that Era. The guide did a great job with the story, and brought around old books to help make points. Then the second house was priest quarters built for a ch7rch next door in the 1300's. Great story here as well. Both are very small and they limit guests they can take at one timeVisited July 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten July 26, 2024
- Julian W58 contributionsImmersive from start to finish.Only 5 stars? It should have 10. Worth visiting Leiden for this little experience alone. Two rooms - one set in 1620, the other 1380 both filled with contemporary artefacts. Excellent personal (almost individual) guided tours. Touchy-feely. To be booked in advance - make sure it's the same day that the Dickensian antique shop next door is open - another Leiden experience not be missed!Visited August 2024Traveled with familyWritten August 13, 2024
- J B4 contributionsWonderul time with interesting history!What a pleasant surprise! The two room tour is tucked away on a small street of Leiden. The guide was imformative, passionate, patient and was a delight to listen to. I would highly recommend this gem of experience. It gets you off the beaten path and you get a glimpse into history beyond 'just' the pilgrims.Visited September 2024Traveled with friendsWritten September 5, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
105 reviews
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Julian W
Essex58 contributions
Aug 2024 • Family
Only 5 stars? It should have 10. Worth visiting Leiden for this little experience alone. Two rooms - one set in 1620, the other 1380 both filled with contemporary artefacts. Excellent personal (almost individual) guided tours. Touchy-feely. To be booked in advance - make sure it's the same day that the Dickensian antique shop next door is open - another Leiden experience not be missed!
Written August 13, 2024
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.
J B
4 contributions
Sep 2024 • Friends
What a pleasant surprise! The two room tour is tucked away on a small street of Leiden. The guide was imformative, passionate, patient and was a delight to listen to. I would highly recommend this gem of experience. It gets you off the beaten path and you get a glimpse into history beyond 'just' the pilgrims.
Written September 5, 2024
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.
Historical Amsterdam Tours
Amsterdam, The Netherlands13 contributions
Jun 2020 • Couples
This was a very nice experience, walking straight into the early 17th century. It was as if we'd visit William Bradford himself in his humble home.
It's tiny, but the collection and the explanation of the host made up for this.
I'd recommend reserving a visit when in Leiden.
It's tiny, but the collection and the explanation of the host made up for this.
I'd recommend reserving a visit when in Leiden.
Written June 30, 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.
Rachel B
1 contribution
Nov 2023 • Family
Such a nice little museum! And the guide was an actual expert on the era, so she was fascinating. Don't expect it to be huge, because it is tiny! But very rich despite its size. The guide and caretakers clearly care a lot about the place and the time. We went on Thanksgiving day, and it turns out !!
Written November 23, 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.
John G
Woodbridge, VA42 contributions
Jul 2015 • Couples
As others have said, this offers a much broader experience about Dutch history and not only about the Pilgrims. Dr. Bangs is a fount of knowledge and stories about Dutch medieval and Reformation era history, as well as the author of tremendously important scholarship on the Pilgrims themselves. The museum is indeed small, but not only is the house the oldest in all of Leiden (1300s), but every object in it is a history lesson in itself. I learned that if you don’t know what question to ask, just point at an object and say, “Tell me about that” and Dr. Bangs will recount a fascinating bit of history. So whatever your area(s) of interest (the Pilgrims, Dutch history, architecture, the Church, social history or even furniture), you’ll find this to be a rewarding and highly personal experience. I don’t know any other museum where the Curator will give you a personal tour and tell you all about any item in the museum that interests you for as long as you wish. All for 5 Euros. You can’t beat it.
I enjoyed reading this University of Chicago Magazine article on Dr. Bangs and the museum before our visit:
http://mag.uchicago.edu/law-policy-society/going-dutch
It prompted me to ask a number of follow-up questions that I wouldn’t otherwise have known to ask about, and that led to some very interesting explanations by Dr. Bangs.
I enjoyed reading this University of Chicago Magazine article on Dr. Bangs and the museum before our visit:
http://mag.uchicago.edu/law-policy-society/going-dutch
It prompted me to ask a number of follow-up questions that I wouldn’t otherwise have known to ask about, and that led to some very interesting explanations by Dr. Bangs.
Written August 1, 2015
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.
drewdraws2
Leiden, The Netherlands28 contributions
Aug 2011
The first thing you should know about this Museum is that it is really just one of the oldest houses in Leiden with an extraordinarily knowledgable guide, rather than a true Pilgrim Museum. That said, it is a fascinating look into the life of those living in the period that the Pilgrims spent in Leiden, and also a rare chance to visit a 700 year-old house that is still actively lived-in (upstairs). The museum is a single room (a separate house next door is sometimes available) filled with authentic pieces of furniture and items from the period, all overseen by a curator of seemingly infinite knowledge on the subject.
It is very affordable, doesn't take long, and incredibly interesting. The American Pilgrim Museum is absolutely worth a stop, whether you're following in the footsteps of the Pilgrims themselves or simply seeking insight into how people lived in Leiden in the early 17th Century.
It is very affordable, doesn't take long, and incredibly interesting. The American Pilgrim Museum is absolutely worth a stop, whether you're following in the footsteps of the Pilgrims themselves or simply seeking insight into how people lived in Leiden in the early 17th Century.
Written January 6, 2012
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.
TravelerWithOpinions
Boston, MA526 contributions
Apr 2013 • Couples
The American Pilgrim Museum in Leiden is only open Wednesdays through Saturdays 1-5 pm.
If you can't visit it then, stop by the Leiden Visitors Center near the Central Station and ask for the "Leiden Pilgrim Tour" booklet (with map). It provides information about 15+ sites related to the American Pilgrims' time in Leiden between 1609 and 1620.
Hint: The monument commemorating the Pilgrims' departure from Leiden is relatively modern and tucked below Boisotkade near the Vliet Canal.
If you can't visit it then, stop by the Leiden Visitors Center near the Central Station and ask for the "Leiden Pilgrim Tour" booklet (with map). It provides information about 15+ sites related to the American Pilgrims' time in Leiden between 1609 and 1620.
Hint: The monument commemorating the Pilgrims' departure from Leiden is relatively modern and tucked below Boisotkade near the Vliet Canal.
Written April 24, 2013
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.
Chris S
Newnan, GA93 contributions
Nov 2015 • Couples
We spent the 2015 Thanksgiving holiday in Leiden and had been told beforehand that the American Pilgrim Museum was a 'must see.' Having been there for ourselves, we agree that it is. It's hard to explain this but the museum is more of an experience than a museum. By that I mean is isn't a collection of artifacts under one roof, it's instead an attempt to let visitors step in to the 17th century world. And it pulls that off wonderfully. The structure is the oldest home in Leiden and nothing separates you from the pieces in their collection--I was thumbing through a bible on the table and was told that it was a copy of the Geneva Bible published in 1615. I was amazed that the curator let me even touch it, let alone hold it and look through it. And, speaking of the curator, Dr. Bangs is a wealth of knowledge about the pilgrims and is happy to answer any and all questions. if you're anywhere near Leiden, stop in for a visit here, it will be well worth your time. If you're there on Thanksgiving he opens it free to the public, though we left a nice tip to let him know how much we enjoyed the experience.
Written December 26, 2015
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.
Dimitrios K
Leiden, The Netherlands112 contributions
Jul 2015 • Solo
A window in the life of seventeenth century English pilgrims. It is a hidden gem in the heart of Leiden.
Written August 2, 2015
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.
annede99
Ede, The Netherlands59 contributions
Sep 2014 • Couples
We went to the museum twice, the first day it was closed. The next day the door was closed, we looked through the window and saw light. Finally a man came to the door, and asked us what we wanted. Well we wanted to visit the museum. He said rudely we should have pushed the door harder because it was open! We had already seen 5 other people leave after not getting the door open. We decided it was not worth the money because of his attitude. After we left he shut the door again.
Written November 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.
Several days ago I saw some people walk up to the door of the museum, on which there is a sign when the museum is open that says "open." They then turned away and walked up and down the street a bit. Often Dutch people are interested by the museum building, peer in the windows, read the sign on the door and decide that paying 5 Euros to see the oldest house in Leiden (built in 1370) and learn about the Pilgrims (whose importance to America is greater than their importance to the Dutch) is too expensive. I do not bother them. But when these people appeared to be possibly interested, even though they had not knocked on the door or rung the bell, I opened the door and asked if they wanted to visit the museum. (I did not ask "what they wanted," as they put it.) The man started immediately complaining that they had come earlier on a day when the museum is not open, despite the fact that the museum's opening days are clearly indicated on the museum's website and in numerous tourist guides. I asked if, since they were now at the museum on a day it is open, they wanted to visit the museum. The man continued to complain, indicating that in his view it was misleading to have a door sign that said "open" when the door itself was closed and did not open to his pushing it. Of course the door is closed - it is part of our security. When people knock or ring the bell, I open the door. After i again asked if they would like to visit, he indicated that he felt some sort of apology was due, and said further that they now no longer had time or interest. So I shut the door and went back to my research, which is what I do when there are no visitors. If I ran a review of visitors, I'd give him no more than one star. But I imagine that he will cherish his sense of grievance at least until the next situation he confronts does not meet his expectations.
Written November 13, 2014
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Would like to know if Dr. Bangs can guide me on geneology research I want to do on my relatives from Leiden.
Written May 11, 2016
If you are looking for information that is in the Leiden archives, all baptism, marriage, and burial records are accessible online at the site of the archives, now calling itself Erfgoed Leiden en Omstreken. Search for: Erfgoed Leiden en Omstreken, personen." In the category "personen" you can seach by surname ("achternaam") or first naam ("voornaam"). You will have to try variant spellings separately, as the computer does not bundle them for you. I attempted to provide a link, but Trip Advisor's automatic response is "Sorry, questions may not include HTML or website links. Please edit your answer."
Other than that, I am unable to hep you with this sort of research.
Good luck,
Jeremy Bangs
The link is this: [deleted]
Written May 11, 2016
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