Museums in Leiden

The national museum of archaeology in the Netherlands and one of the finest antiquities collections in Europe. The Rijksmuseum van Oudheden covers ancient Egypt, the Near East, Greece, Etruria, and Rome alongside the archaeological heritage of the Netherlands. The centrepiece is the Temple of Taffeh, a complete ancient Egyptian temple donated by the Egyptian government in gratitude for Dutch assistance relocating monuments threatened by the construction of the Aswan Dam. Walking into the museum atrium and finding yourself face to face with a fully reconstructed 2,000-year-old Egyptian temple is one of the most genuinely surprising museum experiences in the Netherlands. The Egyptian mummies collection is world-class; the Roman sculpture collection is exceptional. Located on the Rapenburg canal, best combined with Museum De Lakenhal for a full day. Allow at least two to three hours.

One of the finest natural history museums in the world and the best family museum in Leiden. Naturalis holds over 43 million objects making it one of the largest natural history collections on the planet. The visitor experience takes you from the first life on Earth through to present-day biodiversity with exceptional exhibits on evolution, geology, and the natural world. The hall of dinosaur skeletal mounts with immersive projected scenes is genuinely impressive: visitors report being surprised by display animals so well executed they appear real. Interactive activities throughout make it engaging for all ages. The spectacular modern building on the Bio Science Park campus is itself worth seeing. Book ahead during school holidays as it is the most popular museum in Leiden. Allow three to four hours.

Leiden’s city museum, housed in the elegant 17th-century clothmakers’ hall built in 1640, restored and expanded with modern architecture between 2017 and 2019. The Lakenhal covers arts, crafts, and history of Leiden from the relief of the Spanish siege in 1574 to the present day. The art collection is exceptional: Rembrandt, Jan Lievens, Gerrit Dou, Jan Steen, and Jan van Goyen all lived and worked in Leiden, and the Lakenhal holds some of the finest Dutch Golden Age paintings outside Amsterdam, including Lucas van Leyden’s Last Judgement (1526-27). The historic building with original elements from its guildhall origins is a remarkable piece of Leiden history in its own right. Consistently praised as a quiet, beautiful museum with Dutch Masters and without the Amsterdam crowds. Allow two hours; combine with the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden on the same canal for a full day.

The Netherlands’ national museum of science and medicine, named after the great Leiden physician Herman Boerhaave who taught at the university in the early 18th century. The collection covers the history of science and medicine from the 16th century to the present with extraordinary scientific instruments, anatomical models, surgical tools, microscopes, and artefacts from the history of Dutch and European scientific discovery. Interactive exhibitions engage visitors of all ages. Located in a beautiful historic building in the city centre next to the Hortus Botanicus, making it a natural pairing. One of the most underrated museums in Leiden: consistently praised for its thoughtful family-friendly design and genuine intellectual depth. Allow two hours.

The oldest botanical garden in the Netherlands, established in 1590 as part of Leiden University, and one of the oldest in the world. The famous botanist Carolus Clusius planted the first tulip in Western Europe here in 1594, the bulb that would become the symbol of the Netherlands. Four centuries of collecting have produced a garden of extraordinary variety: the reconstructed Clusius Garden shows the Hortus as it appeared 430 years ago, the Systematic Garden works through plant families, and the tropical greenhouses contain remarkable collections. The Orangery from 1744 is a beautiful piece of garden architecture. Also thanks to the Hortus, crops including tobacco, tomato, potato, and maize first became widely known in Europe. Hidden behind the university’s historic Academy Building on the Rapenburg. Best combined with a visit to Rijksmuseum Boerhaave, which is next door. Allow one and a half to two hours. See also the Naturalis museum cafe guide for coffee after your visit.

A spectacular interactive science experience where visitors travel through a giant scale model of the human body learning about anatomy, health, and the biological processes that keep us alive. Located just outside Leiden in Oegstgeest, accessible by car or bus from the city centre. One of the most unique and engaging museum experiences in the Netherlands and particularly excellent for families with children studying biology or simply curious about how the human body works. The building housing the experience is itself shaped like a giant human figure, visible from the A44 motorway.

Formerly the National Museum of Ethnology, the Wereldmuseum Leiden is part of the national Wereldmuseum network and critically examines world cultures in the colonial context in which collections were assembled. Housed in a 19th-century former Academic Hospital on Leiden’s main canal. The Leiden collection is particularly strong on Indonesian culture given the Netherlands’ colonial history in the Dutch East Indies, with extraordinary Wayang puppets, textiles, weapons, and ceremonial objects. The collection also covers Japan, China, Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. One of the most thoughtful and intellectually honest ethnographic museums in Europe. The Indonesian collection alone justifies the visit. Allow two hours.

Housed in the former home of physician and Japan scholar Philipp Franz von Siebold, who lived on the Rapenburg after returning from Japan in the early 19th century, during the era when the Netherlands held exclusive trading rights with Japan. The museum displays beautiful Japanese objects collected by Siebold including ceramics, lacquerwork, paintings, prints, and natural history specimens. A fascinating and intimate collection that tells the story of the Dutch-Japanese relationship during one of the most unusual periods in diplomatic history. The canal house setting on the Rapenburg is beautiful. Allow one hour. Located on the same canal as the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, making it a natural pairing.

An authentic working tower windmill from 1743 with seven floors all open to visitors. De Valk is one of the finest windmill museums in the Netherlands, offering a complete picture of how Dutch windmills worked and how the millers and their families who lived inside them spent their lives. The miller’s quarters on the lower floors are preserved with original furniture and equipment. Climbing to the top provides excellent views over Leiden’s canals and historic rooftops. At €6 it is one of the best value museum experiences in Leiden. A natural complement to a visit to the nearby Pieterskerk and historic centre. Allow one hour.

One of Leiden’s most memorable museums, now at its new home in the former sexton’s house of the Pieterskerk, where it reopened in October 2025 after relocating from its 27-year home at Beschuitsteeg 9. The Pilgrim Fathers, the English religious dissenters who sailed to America on the Mayflower in 1620, lived in Leiden for twelve years before their departure. The museum presents furniture, books, maps, and engravings from the Pilgrim period, illuminating the lives of people who spent the years between England and the New World here in these Leiden streets. Now operated by the Stichting Pieterskerk Leiden, the new location next to the Pieterskerk deepens the connection between the museum and the church where many Pilgrims worshipped. Booking ahead is recommended as the museum is small and visiting groups are limited. Combine with a visit to the Pieterskerk itself, which is directly alongside. Allow one hour.

Rembrandt van Rijn was born in Leiden in 1606 and lived here until leaving for Amsterdam in 1631. The Young Rembrandt Studio is located near the site of his birthplace and tells the story of his early life and development as a painter in the city, including his work alongside fellow Leiden painter Jan Lievens in the years before he became world-famous. Free to enter and a natural addition to a visit to Museum De Lakenhal, which holds his paintings. A modest but worthwhile stop for anyone seriously interested in Rembrandt’s biography. Located near the Pilgrim Museum and Pieterskerk, making a natural historic centre combination. Allow 30 to 45 minutes.

Leiden University maintains several smaller collections and exhibition spaces across the city including the Academy Building, the University Library with special collections open to the public, and the university’s anatomical theatre, one of the oldest in the world. The anatomical theatre dates from 1597 and is housed in the Hortus Botanicus building complex. For expats affiliated with the university or anyone with a serious interest in academic and scientific history, exploring these collections gives a deeper understanding of the extraordinary intellectual heritage of a city that has educated scholars, scientists, and statesmen since 1575.