Westfries Museum
Westfries Museum
4.5
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
11:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Etchings of beggars on rough brickwork and intimate pictures of Rembrandt's women near a 17th-century fireplace. In the completely emtied Westfries Museum in Hoorn, more than 200 etchings by Rembrandt can be admired during 'Rembrandt, the photographer'. From June 22 to November 3, the museum will be completely dedicated to the etching collection of collector Jaap Mulders, supplemented with the contemporary, Rembrandt-inspired work of Anat Ratzabi and Dennis A-Tjak. A special exhibition in a unique location: the museum is taking the opportunity to be a Rembrandt museum for four months due to the delayed renovation.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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4.5
272 reviews
Excellent
119
Very good
122
Average
29
Poor
2
Terrible
0
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Peter V
Thua Thien - Hue Province, Vietnam107 contributions
Jul 2019
How disappointed we were to see this museum has also fallen victim to the new style trend of showing less and less of their collections! . Once crammed especially with Chinese ceramics we love and spices and rooms full of beautiful objects, now a very sober one with many rooms closed and Chinese ceramics all but gone. Even the attic was a great disappointment. Sad to see museums turning out to be very meager while their depots are full. We wont come again, waste of money... we are senior and cannot throw away 20:euro for seeing not what we were accustomed to.....sorry?
Written 7 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.
Serge Ydo
Koggenland, The Netherlands14,910 contributions
Sept 2024 • Couples
The Westfries Museum will undergo a major renovation. It is not only a renovation of the existing exhibition spaces in the former State College and in the adjacent annex Roode Steen 16, but also the drawing of the so-called ‘Red Stone’ into this complex. Mayor's residence at Roode Steen nr. 15. No small task, because all three buildings involved house several much older buildings behind their facades. Hassle about the tender, budget etc. The museum uses the delay in the already started renovation to organise an exhibition in a few deconstructed rooms entitled "Rembrandt, De Fotograaf". More than 200 etchings by Rembrandt van Rijn are on display ... the largest amount of etchings ever exhibited together in the Netherlands (!!). The exhibition convinced me once again that Rembrandt is the master of drawing and etching ... the work is truly beautiful. I was particularly struck by the small etchings of farmers .. simple but touching .. touching in its simplicity! Exhibition is until 3 November 2024 .. if you have the opportunity .. go and see .. such a good overview of his oeuvre etching you will never see wsl again! A look at the makeshift exhibition spaces made it clear to me that the Westfries Museum is in desperate need of the intended renovation .. so put it on, financiers!
Automatically translated
Written 29 September 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.
Robert O
Rotterdam, The Netherlands5,856 contributions
Oct 2022 • Solo
The Westfries museum (currenly under renovation) is housed in a former administrative building called Statencollege. It is located in the center of Hoorn. Built in 1632 when Hoorn along with Amsterdam and Enkhuizen was flourishing at the center of an emerging new worldpower. Trade with the East Indies and the Baltic during the 17th century led to an enormous accumulation of wealth. The Statencollege building underscores the prosperity of the city, a showpiece of Dutch Renaissance style architecture.
Written 22 September 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.
Karin
Amsterdam, The Netherlands1,614 contributions
Oct 2024 • Couples
Now on display at the Westfries Museum: Rembrandt, the photographer. On display are more than 200 original etchings from the collection of Rembrandt collector Jaap Mulders. According to Mulders, Rembrandt would have been a photographer in modern times due to his depiction of light and emotions. Beautiful etchings. So detailed, vivid by the light and fascinating by the tangently rendered facial expressions. Some etchings are no bigger than a post-it, but are especially impressive because of it. In short, enjoyed this exhibition. Gonna see that, but don't wait too long! Until 3 November 2024.
Automatically translated
Written 6 October 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.
SusanLLosAngeles
Los Angeles88 contributions
Jul 2017 • Couples
We saw this museum recommended in Rick Steves' Netherlands guidebook and decided to visit. Hoorn is a quick and easy train ride from Amsterdam Centraal. This museum is a gem, transporting you to the Dutch Golden Age. You really get the feel for what it was like to live in that era. The building that houses the museum dates from the 1630s.
Written 18 August 2017
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.
James Cassandra
The Netherlands18 contributions
Sept 2016 • Couples
I had a fantastic experience! It's definitely worth trying this virtual reality tour (VRT).
I called to reserve for the new virtual reality tour of the town of Hoorn in the 1600s and was super excited. A few days later, I had to cancel but I was not able to reach the museum by telephone. I therefore sent an email and less than an hour later, I had a very kind and understanding reply with an apology of not answering the phone and a rescheduled appointment.
Upon my arrival, my boyfriend was unable to make it and I had to once again, reschedule my appointment. The staff was more than helpful with wonderful English and arranged a more suitable time immediately.
Once we were finally able to make our scheduled appointment, we had a great welcome by my name and lovely smiles.
We entered the virtual tour area which was extremely clean and well kept. A gentlemen explained how it worked and the setting of the tour and we were off. Due to the fact that we were the only visitors at that time, we were able to have not only the virtual tour but also extra explanations by the staff about the 1600s and about the museum itself.
Afterwards, we explored the museum which was very interesting and definitely worth it.
We were the last to leave and once again had many lovely smiles.
By the way, keep in mind the virtual tour is at no extra cost!
Thank you so very much for a great experience!
I called to reserve for the new virtual reality tour of the town of Hoorn in the 1600s and was super excited. A few days later, I had to cancel but I was not able to reach the museum by telephone. I therefore sent an email and less than an hour later, I had a very kind and understanding reply with an apology of not answering the phone and a rescheduled appointment.
Upon my arrival, my boyfriend was unable to make it and I had to once again, reschedule my appointment. The staff was more than helpful with wonderful English and arranged a more suitable time immediately.
Once we were finally able to make our scheduled appointment, we had a great welcome by my name and lovely smiles.
We entered the virtual tour area which was extremely clean and well kept. A gentlemen explained how it worked and the setting of the tour and we were off. Due to the fact that we were the only visitors at that time, we were able to have not only the virtual tour but also extra explanations by the staff about the 1600s and about the museum itself.
Afterwards, we explored the museum which was very interesting and definitely worth it.
We were the last to leave and once again had many lovely smiles.
By the way, keep in mind the virtual tour is at no extra cost!
Thank you so very much for a great experience!
Written 29 October 2016
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.
jetapilot
Fort Lauderdale, FL286 contributions
May 2017 • Solo
lovely museum that includes the audio guide however, there are a few exhibitions that don't have English.. be sure and explore every door and stairwell because there are levels that are not well sign posted. downstairs there is a really nice display of Hoorn and a video that has some translations in English, others aren't. characters that for example, worked on a boat.. and their life. wish they had all been in English. also the real highlight is a 3D experience that puts you into Hoorn in the 17th century and also on a fishing boat. lots of art, and nice collections and stories of Dutch Golden Age.. it was a sunny day so I had the museum virtually to myself. great experience.
Written 2 June 2017
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.
JimParkway
Toronto, Canada2,143 contributions
Mar 2017 • Friends
Hoorn is a small town north of Amsterdam, easily access by train. Town people usually commute to Amsterdam daily via train. It was the home base for the Dutch East India Company. The nearby square has a statue of Jan Pieterszoon Coen - He was the person who founded the city of Jakarta Indonesia.
The town only has a few interesting places to explore; however, it is worth spending a day trip here to understand the Dutch East Company history.
The town even has a Michelin Star Restaurant.
The town only has a few interesting places to explore; however, it is worth spending a day trip here to understand the Dutch East Company history.
The town even has a Michelin Star Restaurant.
Written 16 May 2017
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.
Dennis E
Hoorn, The Netherlands37 contributions
Jun 2015 • Couples
You cannot miss this museum directly on the big square of the city center in Hoorn. The entrance fee is low compared to all of the gems from the VOC era you can feast your eyes on. There are entire rooms filled to the brim with object of that era. It looks as like you took a step back in time. Absolutely stunning. You will be able to walk on the same floors the traders from the VOC walked on hundreds of years ago. A unique experience and honestly just as thrilling as the Anne Frank Huis in Amsterdam.
Staff knows everything about every single item, although they don't speak English very well. This kind of made a dent in the experience. They have booklets in multiple languages though.
Staff knows everything about every single item, although they don't speak English very well. This kind of made a dent in the experience. They have booklets in multiple languages though.
Written 25 February 2016
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.
sherrrrry
Flagler Beach, FL316 contributions
Jul 2015 • Couples
Unlike the Half Moon ship museum, this one has translated informational sheets (printed on metal) in every room. It's a large museum that really helps you to visualize Holland life in the 16 and 1700's.
Here again, we highly recommend buying a museum pass when you first arrive in the Netherlands, because the costs of all the museums can add up quickly.
The passes are available at the 21st Century Museum. . . and maybe at the Westfries as well. A highly recommended experience that is FREE with the museum pass.
Here again, we highly recommend buying a museum pass when you first arrive in the Netherlands, because the costs of all the museums can add up quickly.
The passes are available at the 21st Century Museum. . . and maybe at the Westfries as well. A highly recommended experience that is FREE with the museum pass.
Written 25 July 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.
Is the museum accessible for someone using a walker? He can go up stairs holding a handrail and use his cane to get around. Could he leave his walker at the foot of the stairs? Thanks for your help?
Written 12 January 2020
Hello,
Am sorry not to be able to answer your question. I just can't remember if there were elevators, because we used the stairs ourselves. The staff was very kind and helpful though, I'm sure if you ask them online directly, they will provide you with a helpful answer. The virtual show was really worthwhile seeing! Best of luck!
Written 5 February 2020
Is het op loopbanen afstand van het NS station of met openbaar vervoer te bereiken ?
Written 2 February 2019
Hello, there is mention of booking the virtual tour in advance, prior to arrival at the museum - however I do not see this on the "English" version of the Westfriesmuseum website. Can someone direct me on how to do this?
Thank you from Canada!
Written 14 July 2015
Hi, you can book combi tickets at halvemaenhoorn.nl
Enjoy!
Written 21 July 2015
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