Teylers Museum
Teylers Museum
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Anyone who opens the museum's heavy door on the bank of the River Spaarne sees at a glance what it is that inspires such enthusiasm. The museum breathes the atmosphere of the 18th and 19th centuries - the Age of the Enlightenment - when people were busily gathering knowledge about the world. Teylers Museum, museum of wonder, is a world in itself, one that you will never forget. Teylers Museum is the best-preserved 18th-century public knowledge institution for the arts and sciences in the world. It has been open to the public since 1784, welcoming all those who are eager to look at paintings and drawings by the Old Masters, magnificent minerals, ingenious scientific instruments, precious books, and centuries-old fossils. The museum's interior alone, with the monumental Oval Room, is a truly remarkable attraction. It is the only authentic 18th-century museum interior in the world. Recently the historical house of founding father Pieter Teyler was added to the museum.
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Neighbourhood: Centrum
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- futtock21London, United Kingdom17,261 contributionsThree in OneThe Netherlands’ oldest museum houses scientific instruments and fossils, an art gallery and a historic house all rolled into one. Its a stunning location next to the river. Its architecture houses a domed library with doors leading to different countries, the elegant eighteenth century quarters of its founder Pieter Teyler not to mention a modern extension housing a stylish cafe whose orders are served to the table by robot. The art galleries include a memorable selection of eighteenth and nineteenth century Dutch art as well as a temporary exhibition featuring the life times and art of one Wyland Hendinks an early curator of the museum’s collections.Visited November 2023Travelled with familyWritten 2 November 2023
- Deborah MChicago, Illinois353 contributionsMy Favorite Museum in the NetherlandsThis museum is absolutely remarkable! Plan to stay at least two hours, as this is a place where you want to stop and savor the beautifully curated works. This museum isn't just for lovers of the natural world -- there are also works of art.Visited February 2024Travelled soloWritten 12 March 2024
- David nManchester, United Kingdom4,809 contributionsSplendid !What a joy. Not everything is to all tastes but there are enough artifacts and exhibits to enjoy. The drawings in large cases in one of the art rooms are fabulous. At one end of the museum is Teylor's house with a great one twelfth model of the house.Visited March 2024Travelled soloWritten 20 March 2024
- Lilian GSt. Albans, United Kingdom28 contributionsFascinating view of life from earlier times.A fascinating museum with a real heart and story,combining the arts and sciences of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. This museum has something for everyone, a very good palaeontology collection, the old house, even a small gallery about eighteenth century magic tricks. Then on to the arts side and paintings from the same period, including many local artists. The highlight for us were the displays about the history of virtual reality in art, which were fun as well as instructive. PS there is a good cafe which has a menu with beautiful photos, and a nice shop.Visited April 2024Travelled with friendsWritten 18 April 2024
- dale_riverNew York City, New York645 contributionsA quirky and fascinating museumNot knowing much about the collection except that it’s the oldest museum in the Netherlands, we were delighted by this quirky place. The mix of natural history, science, and art was wonderfully eccentric; my husband loved the illustrations of prehistoric creatures. We enjoyed a special installation on optical illusions and toured the recently restored private house of the original owner, all very atmospheric and interesting. Worth the admission price.Visited May 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 17 May 2024
- Hermes_NL 🇳🇱Amsterdam, The Netherlands21,455 contributionsPieter Teyler’s house also worthwhileWould recommend to visit at quiet times since the comparatively small museum tends to get crowded quickly. A nice recent addition is the adjacent house of the founder Pieter Teyler. Great to see how he lived and where the board takes decisions until the day of today.Visited May 2024Travelled soloWritten 15 June 2024
- poejuggalo29 contributionsFantastic museum with a wide range of exhibitsThe oldest Museum in all of the Netherlands was fantastic. We got the English audio tour and there were so many places within the exhibits to use the audio tour to get more information, we couldn't keep up with all of the information. Great wide variety in the collections as well as some more modern exhibits. Definitely would recommend. Lovely outdoor garden area to order some food.Visited August 2024Travelled with friendsWritten 7 August 2024
- theclarkenGaithersburg, Maryland90 contributionsVery Cool CollectionThe short version is this is the collection of stuff that a really rich guy put together. But what a cool collection! He amassed some fantastic fossils, scientific equipment, and paintings. I also understand he asked that his estate serve as a place for future generations to study art and science. The museum as a whole is not very large, but it's laid out well. When I visited they had an awesome special exhibit on early animation. Next time in Haarlem I will definitely come back to visit again.Visited July 2024Travelled soloWritten 12 August 2024
- AUDelEastbourne, United Kingdom23 contributionsGreat museum - would go againFantastic museum with a really impressive range of collections. The founder's house, also part of the museum, is beautiful, and the two rooms with various optical illusions very impressive. Truly a place to lose yourself in. The English audio guide is a must if you don't speak Dutch but enough signage is in English that you get the gist of the rest :). As with most things in this country, it's well planned and executed and a lot of fun. Even the two teens loved it.Visited August 2024Travelled with familyWritten 18 August 2024
- Lucinda CRipon, United Kingdom27 contributionsUniqueUnique museum . Eclectic mix of fossils, minerals ,interesting Dutch art not of highest quality, small display of porcelain & modern cafe . House / museum interesting too . Small collection well worth visit .Visited September 2024Travelled with familyWritten 4 September 2024
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4.5
1,124 reviews
Excellent
577
Very good
408
Average
104
Poor
21
Terrible
14
TeresaFly
Hitchin, UK67 contributions
Jul 2020 • Friends
It’s the oldest museum in Holland and it definitely looks it. So many interesting things (amazing fossils) however none of the displays bring history to life. The only thing which is focused for children under 10 is the dinosaur room.
The descriptions are all typed up using a type writer.
With Covid we eventually connected to the audio tour to find out it only worked to describe each room, and not all the items tagged with the headset symbol (whether in Dutch or English).
Would be nice to gave more of the wonderful items tagged in English.
€14 a ticket per adult is rather expensive, and there were 4 of us.
The museum boasts 12 sketches by Rafael however I did not see these in the room dedicated to Rafael.
Faraday’s electromagnet is not exactly signposted.
So much more potential, a real shame.
The descriptions are all typed up using a type writer.
With Covid we eventually connected to the audio tour to find out it only worked to describe each room, and not all the items tagged with the headset symbol (whether in Dutch or English).
Would be nice to gave more of the wonderful items tagged in English.
€14 a ticket per adult is rather expensive, and there were 4 of us.
The museum boasts 12 sketches by Rafael however I did not see these in the room dedicated to Rafael.
Faraday’s electromagnet is not exactly signposted.
So much more potential, a real shame.
Written 26 July 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.
exploringwithjune
The Netherlands317 contributions
Aug 2020
The Teylers museum is a museum of Natural history and science; my favorite type of museums!
When entering the building; you'll be stunned immediately but the grand entrance and the architecture. It looks a bit neo-classical to me (don't pin me down on this) and at the same time it reminds me of Gringotts from Harry Potter. After paying for you ticket, you'll enter the exhibition. First you'll pass through a couple of rooms with fossils, shells and bones. I love that it still looks a lot like it did when it was first opened. Gorgeous wooden and glass displays. If you stroll deeper into the museum, there are some rooms with scientific instruments. As I am not a very scientific person, I sometimes missed some info on how the tools were used. But I can imagine that they can't fully explain every single instrument.
There are also rooms with paintings, etches and there was an exhibition on dinosaurs. The latter was quite original as it was all about how dinosaurs have been depicted in popular media. The piece de la resistance is the oval library, full of crystals and astronomical instruments. I could just walk around for days, if i had the time.
Aside from the impressive architecture and collection; I loved that the walking rout is really clear. There is no doubt where you need go next and therefore there is no risk of missing anything. With covid, they adapted quite nicely, making it easy to keep distance.
Half way through there are toilets and there is a large restaurant area. Upon leaving, you'll pass through a giftshop. They have a great variation in the product that they offer. Some books, some toys, some pieces for the home. Some where fitting to the topic of the museum, others were typical Dutch. I also loved that the range of prices was quite large. You can easily find some small gift for a couple of euros. This is great when visiting with kids.
Tickets for grown ups are 14,5 euros. Not cheap, but definitely worth it if you look at how long you can walk around here and if you take in consideration all the facilities and maintenance. Also, kids aged 6-18 can enter for 2 euros. Kids under 5 can enter for free. This really levels the overall price. I love that they made it so accessible for kids to visit.
Concluding these words of praise; whether you're Dutch or just on holiday, you should definitely visit once in your life!
When entering the building; you'll be stunned immediately but the grand entrance and the architecture. It looks a bit neo-classical to me (don't pin me down on this) and at the same time it reminds me of Gringotts from Harry Potter. After paying for you ticket, you'll enter the exhibition. First you'll pass through a couple of rooms with fossils, shells and bones. I love that it still looks a lot like it did when it was first opened. Gorgeous wooden and glass displays. If you stroll deeper into the museum, there are some rooms with scientific instruments. As I am not a very scientific person, I sometimes missed some info on how the tools were used. But I can imagine that they can't fully explain every single instrument.
There are also rooms with paintings, etches and there was an exhibition on dinosaurs. The latter was quite original as it was all about how dinosaurs have been depicted in popular media. The piece de la resistance is the oval library, full of crystals and astronomical instruments. I could just walk around for days, if i had the time.
Aside from the impressive architecture and collection; I loved that the walking rout is really clear. There is no doubt where you need go next and therefore there is no risk of missing anything. With covid, they adapted quite nicely, making it easy to keep distance.
Half way through there are toilets and there is a large restaurant area. Upon leaving, you'll pass through a giftshop. They have a great variation in the product that they offer. Some books, some toys, some pieces for the home. Some where fitting to the topic of the museum, others were typical Dutch. I also loved that the range of prices was quite large. You can easily find some small gift for a couple of euros. This is great when visiting with kids.
Tickets for grown ups are 14,5 euros. Not cheap, but definitely worth it if you look at how long you can walk around here and if you take in consideration all the facilities and maintenance. Also, kids aged 6-18 can enter for 2 euros. Kids under 5 can enter for free. This really levels the overall price. I love that they made it so accessible for kids to visit.
Concluding these words of praise; whether you're Dutch or just on holiday, you should definitely visit once in your life!
Written 27 January 2021
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.
AmsterdamAlfie
Amsterdam, The Netherlands2,431 contributions
Jun 2020 • Couples
Our first post-Corona tourist trip. The new reality is a bit scary but with allocated time slots, restricted entry numbers, hand sanitiser dispensers and a one-way system the museum experience felt safe.
This is our second Museumkaart visit to Teylers almost exactly six months from our first. Nothing much has changed exhibit wise but the displays are over whelming first time so we got enough new experiences. They have a dinosaur display area now and we also noticed the solar system model on top of the Oval room display case. Our favourite room has that lovely couch and paintings. We also enjoyed the gemstones and mineral exhibits. The "opal hunter" type TV shows had become a lockdown favourite of ours but the museum's opal exhibits were a bit underwhelming - no pineapple opal for example.
The cafe had an outside seating area for a close up view of the weird tree.
It's a unique museum in a great old building, thoroughly recommended.
This is our second Museumkaart visit to Teylers almost exactly six months from our first. Nothing much has changed exhibit wise but the displays are over whelming first time so we got enough new experiences. They have a dinosaur display area now and we also noticed the solar system model on top of the Oval room display case. Our favourite room has that lovely couch and paintings. We also enjoyed the gemstones and mineral exhibits. The "opal hunter" type TV shows had become a lockdown favourite of ours but the museum's opal exhibits were a bit underwhelming - no pineapple opal for example.
The cafe had an outside seating area for a close up view of the weird tree.
It's a unique museum in a great old building, thoroughly recommended.
Written 15 June 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.
Thank you for visiting us again! We're glad you've experienced your visit as being safe.
Written 6 July 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
He, She and Me
84 contributions
Jul 2019
What a gem of a find in the lovely town of Haarlem just a short train trip out of Amsterdam. Haarlem itself is pleasant to stroll around as it's much quieter than busy Amsterdam and the diversity, quality and volume of things to see in this museum are astounding. We visited from Amsterdam on a very hot day and spent the morning in Haarlem before catching the train again and going on to the seaside at Zandvoort a Zee to cool down. The return train trip to Amsterdam makes visiting Haarlem and the beach a good day trip outside of the city.
Written 5 January 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.
THank you for you visit and for your kind words! We hope to see you again in Haarlem!
Written 6 January 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
gusandzeus
Groton, CT40 contributions
Jan 2020
The Teylers Museum is the oldest museum in The Netherlands and houses an exquisite collection of scientific tools, paintings, a few sculptures, and a library with volumes dating back to the 1500s. Perhaps not for everyone, but this scientist thoroughly enjoyed the visit. There is a lecture room used by Lorentz, van'tHoff and Enstein. Worth a visit for sure.
Written 23 January 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.
Thank you for visiting our museum, we're happy to read you liked it!
Written 28 January 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
M G
Arlington, VA93 contributions
Apr 2023
While visiting Amsterdam, we took a day trip to Haarlem and visited a few locations. The Teylers is a museum located in Haarlem on the Binnen Spaarme. It’s easy to reach from the Grote Markt via walking. When we visited in April 2023 the façade was undergoing renovations, but the interior was not affected.
The museum has an expansive collection arranged in an “old-fashioned” manner, with large amounts of artifacts arranged in huge rooms. The collection focuses on fossils, scientific artifacts, and artworks (mostly 19th century paintings). Most labels were in Dutch, but many items had entries via an audio guide. (I spent a lot of time listening to entries for the various scientific instruments.) The building interior itself is beautiful, from the main entry hall to the Oval Room. The museum also incorporates a historical house, with several period rooms.
The museum does suffer somewhat from maintaining an older organization and exhibition style. Rooms were packed with items, which had minimal labeling. As stated above, an included audio guide provided more information on many items, but the sheer number of items on display might overwhelm someone used to modern display practices.
Amenities included lockers and restrooms. There was also a restaurant, but we did not eat there. I had no problems with taking photographs.
Highly recommended for museum lovers of all types. One can easily spend 2 or more hours here.
The museum has an expansive collection arranged in an “old-fashioned” manner, with large amounts of artifacts arranged in huge rooms. The collection focuses on fossils, scientific artifacts, and artworks (mostly 19th century paintings). Most labels were in Dutch, but many items had entries via an audio guide. (I spent a lot of time listening to entries for the various scientific instruments.) The building interior itself is beautiful, from the main entry hall to the Oval Room. The museum also incorporates a historical house, with several period rooms.
The museum does suffer somewhat from maintaining an older organization and exhibition style. Rooms were packed with items, which had minimal labeling. As stated above, an included audio guide provided more information on many items, but the sheer number of items on display might overwhelm someone used to modern display practices.
Amenities included lockers and restrooms. There was also a restaurant, but we did not eat there. I had no problems with taking photographs.
Highly recommended for museum lovers of all types. One can easily spend 2 or more hours here.
Written 1 August 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.
Hermes_NL 🇳🇱
Amsterdam, The Netherlands21,455 contributions
May 2024 • Solo
Would recommend to visit at quiet times since the comparatively small museum tends to get crowded quickly. A nice recent addition is the adjacent house of the founder Pieter Teyler. Great to see how he lived and where the board takes decisions until the day of today.
Written 15 June 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.
StephenEamonn
Dublin, Ireland86 contributions
Aug 2022
Beautiful old building and some very interesting exhibits, but good be much better. Many of the signs were not in English, or were very old/misplaced. There were signs for audio guides but I was not offered anything and did not see any info about them.
Some of the more important looking museum staff were having a conference meeting in the oval room, shouting and discussing work stuff, really not respecting the atmosphere a museum should have. It was also very warm, hard to celebrate the summer in Teylers with no airco.
Some of the more important looking museum staff were having a conference meeting in the oval room, shouting and discussing work stuff, really not respecting the atmosphere a museum should have. It was also very warm, hard to celebrate the summer in Teylers with no airco.
Written 23 August 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.
playmisty4me813
Bowie, MD33 contributions
Jul 2022
I have always wanted to see an actual Cabinet of Curiosities, and this museum does not disappoint! My teen son and I had such a great time poring over all the fossils, minerals, coins, cool old scientific equipment and art. There were some contemporary art pieces on exhibit as well. Make sure to tour the house part of the museum, it is easy to miss. A steampunk fan's dream house. We easily walked from the train station, despite a rainy day.
Written 14 July 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.
Roving659225
65 contributions
Apr 2022 • Couples
This was a small but very interesting museum. It displays the vast natural and mechanical 18/9th century collection of Pieter Teyler. Like Dicken old curiosity shop on a large scale but well curated. There is also a substantive collection of drawings from substantive artists including Rembrandt and some very nice paintings. You can also visit the attached Teylers house to get a feel for life in his time. Nice cafe inside for a break.
Written 19 April 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.
Hoe lang is een volwassene in het muesum zoet?
Written 23 August 2022
Hoe lang is een volwassene in het muesum zoet?
Written 23 August 2022
Are the description to exhibits also in the English language
Written 22 January 2019
Yes. The Museum's labels are mostly in English
Written 24 August 2022
Are most exhibits in English?
Written 22 January 2019
Teylers Museum
Haarlem, The Netherlands
Hi! Our temporary exhibitions are in Dutch and English and for our permanent collections we have an audioguide in English available. We hope to see you in Haarlem!
Written 23 January 2019
Hello! Are most of the exhibits in English at this museum?
Thanks!
Written 22 January 2019
Was there the Da Vinci exhibit and it was in English.
Written 22 January 2019
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