Museum Voorlinden is definitely worth visiting as a cultural day trip in the Netherlands. The museum is a privately funded initiative by Dutch art collector Joop van Caldenborgh and showcases his personal collection. Especially the permanent collection at Museum Voorlinden is really cool, but they also offer great exhibitions. In this article you can find practical information for your visit to Museum Voorlinden, such as how to get there, information about the tickets and opening hours. Also, in this article you can find photos and information about their permanent collection and exhibitions. After reading this article I hope I’ve shown you why Museum Voorlinden is definitely worth a visit!
Museum Voorlinden: Cultural Day Trip in the Netherlands
Practical information Museum Voorlinden
How to get to Museum Voorlinden
Museum Voorlinden is located in Wassenaar, only a stone throw away from The Hague. If you’re coming from another city in the Netherlands you can go there either by car or public transport.
By car
The easiest way of getting there is by car. It’s about an hour away from Rotterdam and about two hours from Amsterdam. Parking is free at Museum Voorlinden.
By public transport
It’s also possible to use public transport to get to Museum Voorlinden. This is a bit more of a hassle, as you first need to get the train to The Hague Central or Leiden Central and take the bus (number 43 or 44) to the Wittenburgerweg busstop in Wassenaar. From the busstop it will take about a 20 minute walk to the museum.
Voorlinden Museum & Gardens
Buurtweg 90, 2244 AG Wassenaar
The Netherlands
Opening hours Museum Voorlinden
Museum Voorlinden is opened daily from 11.00 – 17.00
Tickets for Museum Voorlinden
Tickets can be bought at the museum or you can get your tickets online. Click here to check prices and to book your tickets in advance.
Once you buy your tickets they can’t be refunded. Also, if you make a reservation you can’t change it anymore. If you buy a youth ticket you need to show prove that you are actually that age.
Why Museum Voorlinden is worth a visit during your trip in The Netherlands
Museum Voorlinden is a privately funded museum at a beautiful property in the dunes. At this museum you can find modern and contemporary art. The museum opened in 2016 and showcases Joop van Caldenborgh’s renowned collection. This collection also includes work that was made especially for the museum.
I’m a big fan of art, I especially love it if I can interact with art and be part of it. Sure, some murals or paintings can be beautiful, but sometimes they bore me quite quickly. But once they are more than just something I can look at, I’m hooked.
If you happen to visit our hometown Rotterdam, read more about our hometown Rotterdam here, I definitely recommend to visit Museum Voorlinden. It’s only an hour away with the car.
Not only are the permanent collection and exhibitions worth visiting, the estate Voorlinden itself is absolutely beautiful. It makes a great day trip to go to Museum Voorlinden, explore the art and gardens and have a bite to eat at their restaurant.
The permanent collection of Museum Voorlinden
Like mentioned before, Museum Voorlinden offers a very cool permanent exhibition with art works from Joop van Caldenborgh’s personal collection. If you’ve done any research you’ve most likely already seen some of them, like Leandro’s Erlich’s Swimming Pool or the Open Ended sculpture by American artist Richard Serra. When you admire these artworks you are actually a part of them, rather than just being spectators. Of course you can create very cool photos with them too! Below we will share some of the highlights of the permanent collection.
Swimming Pool by Leandro Erlich
Swimming Pool is especially made for Museum Voorlinden by the Argentinian artist Leandro Erlich. It’s a fake swimming pool, but looks real from above because they incorporated a double glass with water in it. But in reality, there is no water in the pool itself.
There are two ways to experience the swimming pool: from above and from inside of the swimming pool. When looking at it from above, it’s as if the people in the pool are walking under water.
Open Ended by Richard Serra
Open Ended by Richard Serra is a huge sculpture made from steel. The maze is four meters high, 18 meters long and seven meters wide. It’s an artwork you experience by walking through it. When walking through it, I also noticed a difference in sound. Sometimes our voices were echoed because of this large sculpture.
Skyspace by James Turrell
Skyspace by James Turrell is also made especially for Museum Voorlinden. It’s a space in the museum with a square hole in a roof. When looking up in this space, the sky is somehow almost surreal. And whenever someone opens the door to the Skyspace, you can hear the wind rushing through. A very unique experience!
Couple under an Umbrella by Ron Mueck
This was probably the weirdest artwork at Museum Voorlinden. The Couple under and Umbrella by Ron Mueck seem so lifelike, that it’s almost scary. The skin, the dimples, the eyes and the hair is so real that it’s as if they can stand up and leave any minute.
The library
At the library in Museum Voorlinden you can look up information about every artist that is exhibited at the museum. The book collection also includes books made by the artists and books from different periods and styles.
Unfortunately we couldn’t visit the library, as you need to make a special appointment to go in. However, we’ve read on their website that it can be visited soon.
Exhibitions at Museum Voorlinden
Next to their permanent collection, Museum Voorlinden also has different exhibitions. Currently they have the exhibition Stage of Being which shows how over time, artists have shown people with all their emotions and instincts. Another current exhibition is Michael Johansson, an artist that collects, organises, stacks and puzzles. He brings together everyday objects that get a new form and context in his sculptures and installations.
To find out more about current and upcoming exhibitions, be sure to check out Museum Voorlinden’s website.
The Gardens at Museum Voorlinden
Not only is the building of the museum itself very cool, the whole property that Museum Voorlinden stands on is actually very impressive. The rooms of the museum have big windows, and when looking outside I was impressed by how lush and green the gardens were.
Therefore, when the weather allows it, it might also be a good idea to explore the gardens of Museum Voorlinden. Landscape architect Piet Oudolf designed the flower gardens surrounding the building. Next to the beautiful flowers, it’s also an idea to look at the Sculpture Garden with over 60 sculptures by Dutch and international artists such as Henry Moore, Sol LeWitt, Carel Visser and more.
Other cool cultural day trips in the Netherlands
I’m planning on writing more on The Netherlands, because there is so much more to see here than most think (especially local people). But, it’ll take some time to collect content. For now, if you’re looking for other great day trips in the Netherlands, be sure to check out the best tours and things to do in the Netherlands on Get Your Guide. For instance, visit Volendam, Giethoorn or Zaanse Schans.
Have you ever been to Museum Voorlinden? Or do you have other cool day trip ideas in the Netherlands? Let us know in the comments!
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