Elisabeth Weeshuis Museum
Culemborg's town museum in the oldest house in the Netherlands purpose-built as an orphanage, with portraits of the counts, period interiors and a garden.
Få kun enkelte afsnit læst op
Om museet
The museum is in the Elisabeth Weeshuis on Herenstraat in Culemborg. Elisabeth van Culemborg, one of the richest women of her time, left a large inheritance after her death in 1555 and stipulated in her will that a large part of it should benefit the poor. An orphanage was built from it, completed in 1560 and endowed with a generous starting capital – it is considered the first building in the Netherlands built specifically for this purpose.
Between 1560 and 1952, more than 700 children grew up here. The house was largely self-sufficient, with a wash house, bakehouse, brewery, courtyard, vegetable garden and orchard. Boys and girls lived separately, and daily life followed a strict rhythm. Since 1928 the town museum of Culemborg has also been housed here.
Today the tour leads through nine rooms: the historic kitchen and the regents' room, the former girls' dining hall with an imposing triptych, a vaulted cellar with play opportunities, the spinning room with Elisabeth van Culemborg and a dormitory where former orphanage children tell of their time in audio recordings. The collection includes a portrait gallery of the counts and countesses of Culemborg, 16th-century panel paintings, the “Adoration of the Shepherds” by Paulus Moreelse, art from Culemborg churches, photo collections and everyday objects. A garden next to the house rounds off the visit.
Højdepunkter
- Portrait gallery of the counts and countesses of Culemborg
- “Adoration of the Shepherds” by Paulus Moreelse
- Rooms preserved in their original state, such as the regents' room
- Dormitory with memories of former orphans
- Museum café with garden terrace
Permanente udstillinger
- Rundgang durch das Waisenhaus – Nine rooms with a historic kitchen, regents' room, dining hall, vaulted cellar, spinning room and dormitory tell of the lives of the orphans and of Elisabeth van Culemborg.
- Sammlung zur Stadtgeschichte – Portraits of the counts, paintings of the 16th and 17th centuries, church art, photos and everyday objects show the history of Culemborg.
- Grundlagt
- 1928
- Ledelse
- Dirk Janse
Entrépriser & rabatter
| Voksne | 12,50 € |
|---|---|
| Nedsat pris | 6 €Students |
| Børn og unge | 6 €gratis til og med 4 år · Children and young people aged 5 to 17 €6; free up to age 4 |
| Studerende og elever | 6 € |
| Group tour (approx. 1 hour, max. 20 people) | 65 €In addition to admission; enquire at least two weeks in advance |
Free with the Museumkaart, Rembrandtkaart, ICOM card and for Friends of the Museum. The Museumkaart is available at the ticket desk.
Tilgængelighed
- Kørestolsvenlig
- Elevator
- Handicaptoilet
- Handicapparkering: ingen oplysninger
- Servicehunde tilladt
- Taktile tilbud: ingen oplysninger
- Rundvisninger på tegnsprog: ingen oplysninger
- Letlæste tilbud: ingen oplysninger
- Synstolkning: ingen oplysninger
The first and second floors can be reached by lift, the cellar and spinning room by stairlift. Wheelchair-accessible toilet on the ground floor; assistance dogs are allowed.
Børn og familie
Velegnet til børn og familier
| Entré for børn | gratis til og med 4 år |
|---|
- Familieomvisninger & workshops
- Interaktive stationer
For families there is a dice game, dressing up as an orphan and other hands-on activities; in the vaulted cellar you can try out for yourself how the children used to pass the time.
Transport & parkering
Med offentlig transport
Bahnhof Culemborg
It is a 15 to 20-minute walk from Culemborg station.
I bil
Parkering muligt
The museum is in the low-traffic centre (access only with a special permit). Park in the car parks around the town centre; the closest is the Het Hof car park, a few minutes' walk away.
In your satnav, enter one of the car parks rather than the museum address. By bike: near junction 42, via Havendijk and Achterstraat to Herenstraat; e-bikes can be charged free of charge in front of the building.
Planlæg ruteService & spisesteder
- Café
- Museumsbutik
Museum café with coffee, tea, local treats and small lunch dishes, also in the orphanage garden in good weather. The museum shop (books, gifts on the history of the town and the orphanage) is accessible during opening hours even without visiting the museum.
Arrangementer & udlejning
Museet har ikke offentliggjort oplysninger om dette.
Planlæg dit besøg
| Rundvisninger | ja · varighed ca. 60 min. |
|---|---|
| Tilbud til skoler | ja |
| Godt at vide | Group tours with a guide (max. 20 people) only by registration at info@weeshuismuseum.nl. For primary schools there are five programmes with an introductory lesson at school and a lesson at the museum (90 minutes each, €97.50 per programme). |



