Museums in Rotterdam

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Category: Rotterdam

Rotterdam has many museums. Well known museums are the Boijmans-van Beuningen Museum, the NAi (Netherlands Architecture Institute), the Volkenkundig Museum (ethnographic museum), the Kunsthal (a building designed by Rem Koolhaas), Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art, and the Maritime Museum.

The Historisch Museum (Historical museum) has two buildings: the Dubbelde Palmboom and the Schielandshuis. Other museums include the tax museum and the nature historical museum. At the historical shipyard and museum Scheepswerf 'De Delft' the reconstruction of ship of the line Delft can be visited.

The Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen is the main art museum in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. The museum began in 1847 with the collection of Frans Jacob Otto Boijmans (1767–1847). Much of the museum's original collection was destroyed in a disastrous 1864 fire. In 1958, the collection of businessman Daniël George van Beuningen (1877–1955) was added to the museum, and the museum acquired its current name.

The Netherlands Architecture Institute (NAI) is a cultural institute for architecture and urban development, comprising a museum, an archive plus library, and a platform for lectures and debates. The NAI was established in 1988 and has been based in Rotterdam since 1993.

The NAI is a private organisation with a government brief, which is to manage the collection of archives that document the history of Dutch architecture. Moreover, as a sector institute for architecture it is also tasked with supporting the professional field. The building also houses a bookshop and a cafe.

The Kunsthal  is a museum in Rotterdam, which opened its doors in 1992. The museum is situated in the Museumpark of Rotterdam next to the Natuurhistorisch Museum Rotterdam, and in the vicinity of the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen. Entrance to the Kunsthal is from the Westzeedijk. The building was designed by the Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas.

The Kunsthal has no permanent collection, but organises a wide range of temporary exhibits. The large space available 3,300 m2 (36,000 sq ft) allows various exhibits in parallel. Recently the museum had exhibitions featuring artists such as Chuck Close, Andy Warhol and Arne Quinze.

Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art is an international public institution with Rotterdam as its home base. Established in 1990, Witte de With explores developments in contemporary art worldwide and presents this through exhibitions, theoretical and educational programs, public events and publications.

The Maritime Museum Rotterdam is a maritime museum in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Dedicated to naval history, it was founded in 1873 by Prince Henry of the Netherlands. One of the major attractions is the 19th-century ironclad ram ship HNLMS Buffel, which is moored outside of the museum. The ship will be moved to Hellevoetsluis in 2013 due to cost cuts.

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