Art museum in the Oudemannenhuis in Haarlem with the world's largest Frans Hals collection, Haarlem masters and art from 1880 onward.
March 12, 2026 – October 11, 2026
Johannes Verspronck's "Girl in a Blue Dress" from the Rijksmuseum is reunited in Haarlem with the portraits of her parents for the first time since 1979; the show traces the search for the family's identity.
November 6, 2026 – February 28, 2027
A juxtaposition of the two most important portrait painters of the 17th century, including regent and group portraits; timed-entry reservation required.
March 25, 2027 – August 29, 2027
A culinary walk through the collection with guest curator Janny van der Heijden, starting from a restored kitchen scene by Cornelis van Haarlem.
September 24, 2027 – February 6, 2028
Contemporary art by Dutch artists with Asian roots on memory, family, food and cultural identity.
The Frans Hals Museum was founded in 1862 as the municipal museum of Haarlem. At first the city displayed its painting collection in the town hall on the Grote Markt – including the large civic guard and regent group portraits that Frans Hals had painted for Haarlem institutions in the 17th century.
In 1913 the museum moved into the Oudemannenhuis on Groot Heiligland, an almshouse for old men built in the early 17th century around a courtyard on the model of a Haarlem hofje (almshouse courtyard). Hals himself knew the building: his late regent portraits depict the governors of this very institution. The historic building, with galleries around the garden, still shapes the museum experience today.
The core of the collection is the work of Frans Hals – the museum owns more of his paintings than any other – along with paintings by other Haarlem artists such as Judith Leyster, Cornelis van Haarlem and Jacob van Ruisdael. There are also decorative arts, the dollhouse of Sara Rothé and a collection of modern and contemporary art from 1880 onward. This was long shown in the halls on the Grote Markt, which belonged to the museum from 2018 as the "Hal" location; at the end of March 2026 the museum gave up this location.
Looking ahead, Haarlem's city council decided in 2025 to relocate the museum to the De Egelantier building complex, which is to offer more space and better climate conditions. The move is planned for the 2030s; until then the building on Groot Heiligland remains open.
| Adults | €18.50 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €9Young adults aged 19 to 24 and CJP pass holders |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 18 · Children and young people up to and including age 18 free; ID may be requested. |
| Seniors | –No senior discount listed. |
| Visitors with disabilities | –companion free · Companions of visitors with disabilities receive a free ticket. |
| Students & apprentices | –No separate student discount listed; visitors aged 19 to 24 pay €9. |
| Groups (10+ people) | €15.50 per personGroup rate per person for 10 or more people; book tickets online in advance. Groups of more than 15 people are split up in the galleries. |
Free with the Museumkaart; also free with the VriendenLoterij VIP-KAART and for friends and patrons of the museum (Vrienden, Beminnaers, Roemers). The Museumkaart is available at the ticket desk. Tickets online or at the ticket desk; discount IDs are checked. For the Hals-Rembrandt exhibition (November 6, 2026 – February 28, 2027), an online timed-entry reservation is required. Card payment only.
The museum is almost entirely on one level and largely accessible by wheelchair, mobility scooter or rollator; some galleries have ramps. The gallery with the dollhouse (five steps) cannot be reached by wheelchair users; the regents' rooms have two steps with a handrail. Loan wheelchairs at the entrance (reserve by email), lightweight folding stools, paper map. With a disabled parking permit you may park free of charge in accessible spaces and parking bays throughout Haarlem, but not in parking garages.
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 18 |
|---|
Free admission up to age 18. Children's audio tour "De Dikke Doe- en Luistertour" for ages 6 and up, with quiz, smelling and touching tasks; permanent drawing corner, dressing up as a civic guardsman and a discovery activity at the dollhouse. Holiday programs, workshops and family tours on request. Children's birthday parties with portrait painting in the style of Hals (ages 6–11, approx. 2 hours, max. 15 participants, €250, Wednesday and Sunday afternoons). Buggies and strollers allowed; baby changing and nursing room available.
Frans Hals Museum · 1-min walk
From Haarlem station (NS), about a 20-minute walk via Grote Markt, Grote Houtstraat and Gedempte Oude Gracht. From the bus station on the south side of the train station, line 3 to the stop "Frans Hals Museum".
No on-site parking at the museum.
No dedicated parking; the Houtplein and De Kamp parking garages are each about a 5-minute walk away. Coach operators should contact the museum in advance.
Park bicycles in the bicycle garage at Houtplein, a few minutes' walk away.
Get directionsMuseum café Cleeff Frans Hals with coffee, cake and lunch, terrace in the courtyard; café and shop accessible without a ticket, card payment only. Free cloakroom and lockers for coats, bags and umbrellas; suitcases, trolleys and folding bikes cannot be stored. Bags only up to A4 size and carried in front of the body. No food or drink in the museum (not even water bottles); the courtyard is open for picnics from April to October.
Up to 150 guests.
Outside opening hours: Renaissancezaal (dinner up to 60, reception up to 70 people), Tuchthuispoort, museum café and courtyard (reception up to 150 people); exclusive private viewings of the museum or exhibition are also possible. Wedding photos possible in the galleries and garden (without artificial lighting or flash). Dinner combination with the Haarlemse Rederijkerskamer (30–60 people). Inquiries by email or at +31 23 511 5775.
Inquiries & details| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes (NL, EN, FR, DE) |
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Photography allowed and sharing encouraged; no flash, tripods or selfie sticks. |
| Good to know | Free audio tour (Dutch, English, French, German), also available to replay via MapMyVisit; plus a music tour by Haarlem school students and a free Frans Hals podwalk through the city. Group tours daily at 11:30 and 13:30, €90 per group (max. 15 people) plus admission, booking via reserveringen@franshalsmuseum.nl; during Hals-Rembrandt only at 15:15 and 15:45, with mandatory whisper sets. Your own guides by arrangement (max. 15 people). Children may not be carried on shoulders or in back carriers. |
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