Design Museum Den Bosch
Dutch design museum with the permanent presentation "Design!", ceramics and jewellery collections and changing exhibitions in the Museumkwartier.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The roots of the museum go back to the 1950s: in 1956 the city's then art academy organised its first international exhibition and at the same time began to build up a study collection of ceramics. From this grew a municipal exhibition service, which became independent in 1972 and found a home in the building Het Kruithuis; from then on the museum was called Museum Het Kruithuis. In 1985 it received the status of a museum of contemporary art, and from 1988 an internationally oriented jewellery collection was added.
After Het Kruithuis had become too small, plans for a new building failed because of objections, so that from 2003 to 2013 the museum was housed in a former company building near the railway station. In 2013 it moved into the present new building by Hubert-Jan Henket in the Museumkwartier, directly behind the Noordbrabants Museum and connected to it. Until 2018 the museum was called Stedelijk Museum 's-Hertogenbosch.
With the renaming to Design Museum Den Bosch in June 2018, the museum sharpened its profile: it shows design as something that permeates everyday life and has social impact. The collection's main focuses are ceramics, jewellery and the newer collecting area Posthuman. The permanent presentation "Design!" on the ground floor introduces the world of design in 14 themes, complemented by the freely accessible hands-on space OntwerpStation.
Highlights
- Permanent presentation "Design!" with 14 themed areas on the ground floor
- Freely accessible OntwerpStation for trying things out and touching
- International collections of ceramics and jewellery
- New building by Hubert-Jan Henket, connected to the Noordbrabants Museum
- Combined ticket with the Noordbrabants Museum
Permanent exhibitions
- Design! – Permanent presentation on the ground floor showing in 14 themes how design shapes the body, everyday life and society; accessible without a ticket.
- Het OntwerpStation (The Design Station) – Freely accessible hands-on and thinking workshop in the hall, where visitors can try out design themselves and touch collection pieces.
- Operated by
- Stichting Design Museum Den Bosch
- Director
- Timo de Rijk
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €15 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €7.50Ages 18 to 30; CJP, students |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Free up to age 17; those aged 18 to 30 pay half price. |
| Visitors with disabilities | –companion free · Accompanying person free in the case of disability; select "Other discount card" in the online shop. |
| Students & apprentices | €7.50Half price with a student ID, university card or CJP. |
| Groups | –Guided tour for groups €90 per hour (max. 15 people); admission tickets additional. |
| Combined ticket with the Noordbrabants Museum (online) | €27.50At the ticket desk €29.50 |
| Combined ticket for young adults up to age 29 with the Noordbrabants Museum (online) | €13.75At the ticket desk €14.75 |
Free with the Museumkaart. Also free: Rembrandtkaart, VriendenLoterij VIP card (1 person), Friends of the Museum, Bossche Pas, ICOM and AICA. The price is the same online and at the ticket desk; combined tickets are cheaper online.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking: not available
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
Ramp at the entrance, no thresholds, spacious lift; loan wheelchair (up to 125 kg) and portable stool on request. High-contrast exhibition texts. Cobblestones in the surrounding area. No dedicated disabled parking space; short stops for drop-off at the entrance are possible.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Hands-on stations
- Stroller-friendly
- Baby changing facilities
Free family route for children aged 6 to 12 at the ticket desk, hands-on workshop OntwerpStation, workshops during the holidays as well as family tours and design workouts on request. Prams are permitted as long as the child stays in them.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Spinhuiswal · 5-min walk
From the station, bus 1 or 156 to the Spinhuiswal stop; free hop-on-hop-off bus "Blauwe Engelen" (Tue–Sun) with stops at Verwersstraat (200 m) and at the station
By car
Paid parking · 100 m to the entrance
No dedicated car park; Wolvenhoek car park (Wolvenhoek 12) right next door, St.-Jan car park (Hekellaan 25) about a 5-minute walk away. Parking is cheaper at the Transferia with a free bus. Free covered bicycle parking Wolvenhoek next to the museum.
- Accessible parking: not available
About a 15-minute walk from the station; follow the blue signs "Design Museum Den Bosch" or "Het Noordbrabants Museum". Satnav: De Mortel 4, 5211 HV 's-Hertogenbosch; because of roadworks in the centre, check the route in advance at 9292.nl.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
- Coat check
- Lockers
Café BarBrabant in the glass hall Rabobankgalerij between the two museums (accessible without a ticket, Tue–Sun 11 a.m.–5 p.m., garden terrace); MuseumShop accessible without a ticket. Free lockers in various sizes, unattended coat rail.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
Rooms and events on request by email to info@designmuseum.nl.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Photography permitted unless otherwise indicated; flash, tripods and additional lighting only with permission. |
| Good to know | No timed-entry ticket required. Tours for groups (max. 15 people) should be requested at least two weeks in advance; tours in foreign languages cost a €25 surcharge. Luggage larger than A4 must be placed in the lockers before visiting the exhibition rooms. The permanent presentation "Design!" is accessible without a ticket. The ticket is scanned only once; re-entry on the same day only by arrangement. |
Museums nearby
Het Noordbrabants Museum
Museum Slager
Museum Het Zwanenbroedershuis
Het Oeteldonks Gemintemuzejum
Jheronimus Bosch Art Center
Vughts Museum
All 7 museums in 's-Hertogenbosch All museums in North Brabant
