Museums, Culture & Heritage
All the good stuff, from modern art to our urban roots
The fire has been burning even brighter in the cultural heart of the city since the arrival of Depot Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen. This is where museums and institutions meet, bordering Museum Park. The public and iconic Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen is a valuable addition now that Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen is closed for renovation. Discover the ‘treasures’ that used to be stored behind closed doors but, above all, enjoy the building itself, the view from the roof and the culinary art at Restaurant Renilde.
Directly opposite, you can visit Het Nieuwe Instituut, the museum for architecture, design and digital culture. This is also home to the National Collection for Dutch Architecture and Urban Planning. HNI also manages Huis Sonneveld across the street; a villa dating from 1933 and the best-preserved house in the Nieuwe Bouwen style. A little further on, another beautiful villa, the Chabot Museum, shows the highlights of International Expressionism. The Kunsthal is worth a visit both for its building and its interesting, topical exhibitions. And with children you should, of course, go to the Natural History Museum next door, which is a dead ringer in every respect.
Not far from the Museum Park, in the city centre, you can visit The Schielandshuis. This ‘house of the city’ was built in 1665 and is one of the oldest buildings in Rotterdam. This is especially noticeable in the stately period rooms of the national monument. The ’40-’45 NU museum at Coolhaven is also linked to the history of the city; the Experience includes an impression of the devastating bombing of the city on 14 May 1940. This exhibition is part of the Rotterdam Collection and the Ook van Jou (Yours Too) campaign, which connects the past and present of the city through collection pieces, places, stories and Rotterdammers themselves.
On the south side of the city, just across the Erasmus Bridge, turn left towards Noordereiland. There you can visit the Rotterdam children’s museum Villa Zebra. Or turn right after the bridge to visit the Nederlands Fotomuseum and discover the best of Dutch photography. A little further on, in Katendrecht, you can learn more about Rotterdammers and their history and see changing exhibitions at Verhalenhuis Belvédère. FENIX is under construction across the street. The Fenixloods II warehouse is being transformed into a museum with stories that transcend borders. Stories about, for example, the emigrants who used to arrive or depart from this place, starting their search for happiness either way.