Snijders&Rockoxhuis
Two 17th-century townhouses on the Keizerstraat in Antwerp: the homes of Mayor Nicolaas Rockox and painter Frans Snijders.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The museum consists of two adjacent houses on the Keizerstraat. Nicolaas Rockox, mayor, humanist and art collector, had Den Gulden Rinck fitted out as a patrician house from 1603. After his death in 1640 his nephew inherited the house; in 1715 it was sold and the façade received its present appearance. The neighbouring house, De Fortuyne, was the home of the painter Frans Snijders from around 1622.
In 1949 the vzw Artiestenfonds set up a museum in the Rockoxhuis. In 1970 KBC bought the building, and the vzw Museum Nicolaas Rockox was founded to restore and manage it; that organisation still does so today. The Rockoxhuis opened as a museum in 1977. Following a collaboration with the Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten Antwerpen, the Snijdershuis was also included, and in February 2018 the joint museum Snijders&Rockoxhuis opened.
Visitors see, among other things, furniture, ceramics, sculptures, tapestries and paintings from the seventeenth century. In the inner courtyard a seventeenth-century city garden has been recreated, with plants that Rockox had imported.
Highlights
- Den Gulden Rinck: the city palace of Mayor Nicolaas Rockox
- De Fortuyne: the house of painter Frans Snijders
- Seventeenth-century paintings, including works by Rubens, Van Dyck and Jordaens
- Inner courtyard modelled on a seventeenth-century city garden
- Music room of Gaspar Duarte
Permanent exhibitions
- Rockox: Den Gulden Rinck – The city palace of Mayor Nicolaas Rockox, including the Cleyn Salette, Tgroot Salet, Twaschhuys and the kitchen.
- Snijders: De Fortuyne – The house of painter Frans Snijders on the Keizerstraat, including the Neercamer and the Bovencamer.
- De muziekkamer van Gaspar Duarte – A room in the museum devoted to Gaspar Duarte and the musical life of his time.
- Founded
- 1977
- Operated by
- vzw Museum Nicolaas Rockox
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €10 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €6visitors aged 18 to 25, groups of 12 or more people, and holders of an A-kaart |
| Children & teens | €6free up to age 17 · Free up to 18 years; from 18 to 25 years €6. |
| Visitors with disabilities | –companion free · A carer accompanying a visitor with reduced mobility enters free. |
| Groups (12+ people) | €6 per personPrice per person; group leaders and accompanying teachers of school groups enter free. |
| Customers and staff of KBC/CBC with bank card | freeFree on presentation of a KBC/CBC bank card. |
Free admission: Free on the first Tuesday of every month
Free admission with a Museumpas, a valid Antwerp City Card, an ICOM card, a teacher’s card, a press card or the social rate of the A-kaart; also for Antwerp city guides.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
|---|
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Hands-on stations
- Playground / play area
For children aged 6 to 12 there is the interactive activity booklet “Beste buren” (about an hour, with coloured pencils). A short animated film of about four minutes introduces the visit. The museum has a play corner.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Plan your route with De Lijn. The house is about a 5-minute walk from the Boerentoren, via the Meir, the Sint-Katelijnevest and the Minderbroedersrui, and forms part of the Rubens walk between the Sint-Carolus Borromeuskerk and the Sint-Jacobskerk.
Velo Antwerpen city bikes are available at Velo stations in the city. The museum notes that there are parking options nearby.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | With the free Bloomberg Connects app (QR code in the museum) you get explanations of the permanent collection and its highlights. At the counter you can borrow an iPad for a tour free of charge (subject to availability; not bookable). Guided tours for groups are booked in advance. Free walks as PDF: “Op pad met Frans Snijders”, “Met Rockox op pad” and “Een Keizerlijke wandeling”. |
