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Visitors at the kimono display inside Wereldmuseum Leiden

Museums in Leiden: 13 museums to visit

Leiden has 13 museums within easy reach of the historic centre, from dinosaurs and archaeology to art, science, Japan and a working windmill museum. Use this guide to compare the best museums in Leiden and choose the ones that fit your visit.

Museum in the spotlight

Display cases with ancient pots and vases at the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden

Rijksmuseum van Oudheden

The crown jewel of Leiden's museums. Permanent galleries cover Egypt, Greece, Rome, the Near East and the Netherlands, and the collection of mummies, sarcophagi and the Temple of Taffeh is superb. Excellent for adults and children alike.

Rapenburg 28 € 14 · Museumkaart
Buy ticketsVisit Rijksmuseum van Oudheden

Top museums in Leiden

The six experiences to plan first.

  • Entrance of Wereldmuseum Leiden with blossom and a totem poleOur top pick

    Wereldmuseum Leiden

    Wereldmuseum Leiden is one of the world's oldest ethnographic museums, with major collections from Asia, Africa, Oceania and the Americas.

    Buy ticketsVisit Wereldmuseum Leiden
  • The Rapenburg canal in Leiden, home to the National Museum of Antiquities

    Rijksmuseum van Oudheden

    Visit Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden for Egyptian, Greek and Roman archaeology, including the Temple of Taffeh, with tickets and visitor tips.

    Buy ticketsVisit Rijksmuseum van Oudheden
  • The skeleton of T. rex Trix at Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden

    Naturalis

    Visit Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden to see T. rex Trix, dinosaurs and natural history collections, with tickets, address and visitor tips.

    Buy ticketsVisit Naturalis
  • The red CORPUS building in Oegstgeest near Leiden

    CORPUS

    CORPUS near Leiden is an interactive journey through the human body. Address, map, opening hours, tickets and visitor tips.

    Buy ticketsVisit CORPUS
  • Temporary winter view of the Hooglandse Kerk and a street in Leiden

    Museum De Lakenhal

    Museum De Lakenhal in Leiden shows early Rembrandts, Lucas van Leyden and the story of the 1574 siege in a 17th-century cloth hall. Visitor guide.

    Buy ticketsVisit Museum De Lakenhal
  • Giant water lilies in the tropical glasshouse of the Hortus botanicus Leiden

    Hortus botanicus

    Founded in 1590, the Hortus botanicus Leiden holds Clusius' tulip garden, tropical glasshouses, a Japanese garden and 300-year-old trees. Visitor guide.

    Buy ticketsVisit Hortus botanicus

Intimate and special

  • Japanese kimonos on display at Japanmuseum SieboldHuis in Leiden

    Japanmuseum SieboldHuis

    Behind a 17th-century Dutch facade sits a collection of thousands of Japanese objects gathered by the Bavarian physician Philipp Franz von Siebold in the 19th century.

    Rapenburg 19 € 9 · Museumkaart
    Buy ticketsVisit Japanmuseum SieboldHuis
  • Temporary evening view of a boat on a canal in Leiden

    Pilgrim Museum

    The Pilgrim Museum occupies the former sextons' home of the Pieterskerk. Original objects, documents and personal stories trace the English Pilgrims' years in Leiden before part of the community left in 1620.

    Kloksteeg 16
    Buy ticketsVisit Pilgrim Museum
  • Windmill De Valk in Leiden reflected in the water of the Singel

    De Valk windmill

    A seven-storey working city windmill turned museum, with the miller's living quarters preserved and a view over the old town from the stage.

    2e Binnenvestgracht 1 € 6 · Museumkaart
    Buy ticketsVisit De Valk windmill

More museums

Frequently asked questions

Are Leiden museums open on Monday?
Most Leiden museums are closed on Mondays. Naturalis and CORPUS usually stay open — always check the museum's own website before travelling.
Is the Museumkaart valid in Leiden?
Yes, the Dutch Museumkaart is accepted at most Leiden museums, including the National Museum of Antiquities, De Lakenhal, Boerhaave and Wereldmuseum Leiden. CORPUS is a commercial attraction and is not included.

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