Museum of archaeology, art and history in Assen featuring the bog body Meisje van Yde, the Pesse canoe and works by Van Gogh.
October 17, 2026 – May 9, 2027
A first in Europe: some 120 original objects from the Khmer capital of Angkor, including Buddhist and Hindu sculptures from the 9th to 15th centuries and a portrait of King Jayavarman VII. The exhibition links history with new archaeological findings and questions of heritage conservation.
Through November 15, 2026
An immersive installation by the Leipzig painter with some 20 large-format paintings, wallpapers and drawings whose colorful figures freeze mid-movement as if on a stage.
Through November 15, 2026
A small presentation on the little-known painter Wilhelmina Proos (1888–1972), a pupil of Jan Sluijters, with vividly colored portraits, landscapes and still lifes from a donation by her grandson.
The museum was founded in 1854 as the Provinciaal Museum van Oudheden and began with a single cabinet of finds in the Gouvernementsgebouw, then the provincial government building of Drenthe. The site has a long history: from 1259 Cistercian nuns built the Maria in Campis convent here, whose chapel, now known as the Abdijkerk, belongs to the museum today.
In the 20th century the museum gradually expanded into the neighboring historic buildings: the Ontvangershuis was added in 1964, in the 1970s the museum moved into the former provincial government building with its richly painted Statenzaal, and later the Drostenhuis and the Abdijkerk followed. Since 1996 it has been called the Drents Museum and is run by an independent foundation.
Between 2009 and 2011 a large, mostly underground exhibition wing designed by Erick van Egeraat was built, with a maze garden on its roof; since then the entrance has been in a coach house from the late 18th century. The museum made a name for itself well beyond the region with major international temporary exhibitions on archaeology and cultural history. In January 2025, gold objects from an exhibition on loan from the National History Museum of Romania were stolen in a break-in, making headlines around the world.
Since late 2024 the museum has shown its own collection in the multisensory presentation “Labyrinthia”: archaeology with finds such as the Meisje van Yde and the Pesse canoe, art around 1900, painting from Drenthe including works by Vincent van Gogh, and contemporary realism. Since 2024 the former Museum De Buitenplaats in Eelde has also been part of the Drents Museum.
| Adults | €17.50 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Children and teens up to age 17 are admitted free. From age 14 they may visit the museum unaccompanied. |
| Seniors | –No senior discount mentioned. |
| Visitors with disabilities | –companion free · Visitors who cannot move through the museum independently may bring one companion free of charge (“Begeleiderskaart” ticket; an OV companion card is not required). |
| Students & apprentices | –Reduced price with a CJP-Pas: €9 during “Angkor”, €5 at the interim rate. |
| Groups (10+ people) | €21.50 per personGroup rate for 10 or more people during the exhibition “Angkor”; guided tours and programs for groups of 10 or more can be booked. |
| Adults during “Angkor” (October 17, 2026 – May 9, 2027) | €25Includes a €7.50 exhibition surcharge; on a repeat visit the surcharge is waived on presentation of the sticker from the first visit. |
| “Angkor” surcharge for Museumkaart and ICOM holders | €7.50Also for members of the Platform Drentse Musea. |
| Interim rate between major exhibitions | €12.50Museumkaart and ICOM then free, CJP €5. |
| Guided tour in Nederlandse Gebarentaal (Dutch Sign Language) | €11Admission included; no discount with a Museumkaart. |
Regular admission according to the FAQ is €17.50; during major exhibitions a surcharge may apply (from October 17, 2026 for “Angkor”: €25), and between two major exhibitions there is usually a reduced interim rate (€12.50). Free with a Museumkaart (except exhibition surcharges), also with the VriendenLoterij VIP-KAART, the Vereniging Rembrandt (Rembrandtkaart) and for friends of the museum or the Young Culture Club. Online tickets for a chosen day are recommended; tickets are also sold at the desk. Tickets are non-refundable but can be rebooked. Cashless payment only in the museum. No combination tickets.
Most of the museum can be reached by elevator; some doors and elevators are only 90 cm wide, and wheelchairs and mobility scooters wider than 110 cm are not permitted (transfer to a museum wheelchair in the hall). In the dollhouse (Ontvangershuis), two rooms can only be reached by stairlift without a wheelchair and two more only by stairs; not accessible for electric wheelchairs. Free loaner wheelchairs, rollators and folding stools (reservation recommended). Two wheelchair-accessible restrooms. “Labyrinthia” offers tactile objects, audio description, scents and soundscapes; large-print texts for temporary exhibitions; accompanied visits for visually impaired visitors, tours with the Macula Café and low-stimulus openings. “Labyrinthia” is very high in sensory stimuli and dark in places. Accessible parking spaces at several locations in the city center.
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
|---|
Children up to age 17 free. “Labyrinthia” is highly interactive (mammoth hunt, a canoe trip through a prehistoric landscape, tactile objects) with the resident ghost Witte Maegie, who sets tasks; for major exhibitions there is a family route with questions and games. During the summer holidays, hands-on art and archaeology days every Wednesday. Museum strollers available to borrow, baby changing table in the accessible restrooms; back carriers must be left at the cloakroom, front carriers are allowed.
Assen (Bahnhof) · 8-min walk
Assen intercity train and bus station is about an eight-minute walk away (via Stationsstraat and Kloosterstraat). Qbuzz buses also stop at Zuidhaege.
Parking available
Parking garages close by: Parkeergarage Drents Museum (Torenlaan) and Parkeergarage Stadhuis (Doevenkamp); more parking garages in the city center.
By car via the A28 (exit 32 Assen-Zuid coming from Zwolle, exit 33 coming from Groningen), then via the Torenlaan to the Brink. The museum recommends arriving by public transport.
Get directionsBrasserie Pingo in the historic part (Tue–Sun 10:00–17:00, lunch, cake, regional dishes; group reservations +31 59 237 7741). Museum shop with a large selection of children's books. Free lockers at the cloakroom (€1 deposit).
Three spaces: the Statenzaal, Opkamer and Brasserie Pingo (Mondays and outside opening hours); room rental €525 per half day, €795 per full day, evening events possible; guests can visit the museum free of charge. Several wedding venues in the building. Contact: reserveringen@drentsmuseum.nl, +31 592 377 716.
Inquiries & details| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Photography without flash is allowed unless otherwise indicated; tripods and selfie sticks are prohibited, non-commercial use only (professional photography with permission via communicatie@drentsmuseum.nl). |
| Good to know | In “Labyrinthia”, QR codes lead to a web app where you can listen to the gallery texts (iPads can be borrowed at the information desk); in the dollhouse, a multimedia tour with a choice of resident. Guided tours and programs for groups of 10 or more on request (including the dollhouse, the buildings, and offerings for seniors and people with dementia); regular guided tours in sign language. Coats, umbrellas and bags larger than A4 must be left at the cloakroom or in lockers; small backpacks must be worn on the front. Bringing your own food is not allowed. The “Ontdek Drenthe” app for excursions in the province. |
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