10 great museums in the Leiden area
Spending a day popping into Leiden’s museums is a great idea! There’s something for everyone. Come and see the best nature and art have to offer. Be inspired by cultural diversity and learn more about health, the human body and history.
Museum De Lakenhal
Museum De Lakenhal has displays of visual arts and crafts. You can also find out more the city’s history. Be drawn in by an amazing intersection of the past and the present.
National Museum of Ethnology
One of the oldest ethnology museums in the world. The National Museum of Ethnology focuses on peoples from around the world. From Bali to Guatemala, from Oceania to the Arctic, from Mecca to Djenné. See how we all form part of humankind, despite our differences.
Steam train between Katwijk and Leiden
Admire the 100-year-old steam train, ready for boarding on the platform. When the conductor blows his whistle sounds, the locomotive puffs and hisses into motion. Welcome aboard!
Rijksmuseum Boerhaave
What were the most significant discoveries in the history of science? Who was responsible and how did their discoveries affect our lives? These questions and more are answered at Museum Boerhaave! Discover the fascinating world of science!
Hortus botanicus Leiden
The Hortus is the oldest botanical garden in the Netherlands. It was laid out in 1590 and has been expanded over the centuries. The Hortus is the green center of Leiden and the best place for a peaceful walk through greenhouses and gardens.
Naturalis
Find out more about the riches of the natural world. At Naturalis, journey through the present and past. Experience the Courtship gallery. Meet Trix the T-Rex in the dinosaur gallery. Visit LiveScience to see how dinosaur bones are cleaned.
Japanmuseum SieboldHuis
The Japanmuseum SieboldHuis exhibits the best of Japan in a traditional Dutch house. Admire prints, fossils, ceramics, animal specimens, maps and other treasures collected in the 19th century.
National Museum of Antiquities
At the National Museum of Antiquities, the ancient world and archaeology come to life. A complete Egyptian temple and more take you on a journey to ancient Egypt. You can also discover prehistory, Roman times and the Middle Ages.
Het Spinozahuis museum
The home of the Spinoza family in Rijnsburg is about 30 minutes from Leiden. Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza lived here from 1661 to 1663. In a small room here, he ground and polished lenses for optical instruments and recorded his reflections using a quill pen. Come and see for yourself!
Molenmuseum De Valk
Molenmuseum De Valk is based in a windmill dating back to 1743. Come and see the last town miller’s house in the Netherlands, most of which remains intact. Nineteen windmills once stood on Leiden’s ramparts, but only De Valk remains.
Want to visit all these museums?
Discover all of them and more with the Netherlands Museum Pass. Visit the more than 500 inspiring museums in the Netherlands for one year, for only € 75.
