Provincial museum of Friesland in Leeuwarden covering the region's art, history and culture, with the integrated Fries Verzetsmuseum (resistance museum).
September 5, 2026 – February 7, 2027
Major exhibition on the Frisian king Redbad and the realm of Frisia in the 7th and 8th centuries, with rare finds and reconstructions, created as part of a German-Dutch Interreg project.
August 1, 2026 – May 30, 2027
The six-piece silver ensemble from the 17th century, one of the most important examples of Frisian silversmithing, and its story from its creation to its arrival at the museum.
May 23, 2026 – March 21, 2027
Survey exhibition of the work of the Friesland-born painter, moving between figuration and abstraction.
Through March 21, 2027
Video and light installation by the Iranian-Dutch artist about uprootedness and the search for a home.
Through March 21, 2027
Contemporary works from the museum's collection that engage with the sea, the tides, the forest, the Wadden Sea or the North Pole.
The museum's roots go back to 1827, when the Friesch Genootschap was founded in Leeuwarden to promote Frisian history, antiquities and language. In 1853 a provincial cabinet of antiquities was established, whose pieces were shown first in the Palace of Justice and later in the Stadhouderlijk Hof (stadtholder's court). A large historical exhibition marking the society's 50th anniversary in 1877 – the first folklore exhibition in the Netherlands – was so successful that its proceeds were used to buy the Eysingahuis. The Fries Museum opened there in 1881.
After a major renovation, the Kanselarij was connected to the museum by a tunnel in 1995. The impetus for a new building came from the Frisian architect Abe Bonnema, who left the museum around 18 million euros when he died in 2001. In 2013 Queen Máxima opened the new building on the Wilhelminaplein, the first completely new museum building in the Netherlands in the 21st century.
With more than 200,000 objects, the museum manages the largest provincial collection in the country. On display are works by Frisian masters such as Lawrence Alma-Tadema, Gerrit Benner and Wybrand de Geest, archaeological finds from the era of the Frisians and the Vikings, and stories surrounding Grutte Pier and Mata Hari. The Fries Verzetsmuseum, on Friesland during World War II, is part of the museum, and the building also houses the Slieker Film cinema. Organizationally, the museum forms a joint institution with the Keramiekmuseum Princessehof.
| Adults | €17.50 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €8Students (CJP or ISIC) |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Children and young people up to and including age 17 free |
| Visitors with disabilities | –companion free · Companions of wheelchair users and of people who cannot visit the museum on their own are admitted free |
| Students & apprentices | €8with CJP or ISIC |
| Groups (10+ people) | €14 per personper person; private guided tour (60 min.) €89 per group plus admission |
| Combination ticket with the Keramiekmuseum Princessehof | €25 |
| Combination ticket with the Museumhuis Van Eysinga | €19 |
| Public guided tour "REDBAD" (plus admission) | €7On selected Sundays 12:30–13:30 |
| School classes (per student, from 10) | €6including accompanying adults and materials |
Free with the Museumkaart; also free with the Rembrandtkaart, VriendenLoterij VIP card (plus one guest), veterans' pass, ICOM card and for members of the Fries Genootschap. No reservation required. Mutual 20% discount with a ticket from the Woudagemaal that is no more than two months old.
Modern building, all floors accessible by elevator, with an accessible restroom on every floor. Loaner wheelchairs, rollators and small mobility scooters available (large scooters are not allowed in the building). Accessible parking spaces in the Parkeergarage Zaailand near the stairway that leads directly into the museum hall. Guided tours in sign language and for people with dementia, NGT (Dutch Sign Language) interpreters on request; a low-sensory visit is possible one hour before opening. For the exhibition "Ferhaal fan Fryslân" there is an audio tour for your own smartphone, also designed for blind and visually impaired visitors.
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 17 |
|---|
Free admission up to age 17. Children up to age 12 can rate their visit as a "Museuminspecteur" via museumkids.nl. Family tours on request; children's birthday parties (for ages 7 to 12) on Wednesdays and Saturdays 14:00–16:00, €200 for up to 10 children, including a guided tour and craft workshop.
Station Leeuwarden · 5-min walk
From Leeuwarden station (trains and buses), about a five-minute walk via the Sophialaan and Prins Hendrikstraat to the Wilhelminaplein.
Paid parking
Parkeergarage Zaailand (Zaailand 5) directly beneath the museum, open around the clock; the stairway leads into the museum hall. If it is full, use the Oldehove, De Klanderij or Hoeksterend parking garages.
Free covered bicycle parking on the Zaailand.
Get directionsMuseum café Thús (Tue–Sun 10:30–18:00, also accessible from the square without a museum ticket) with Frisian regional products; museum shop and online shop; free lockers. The building also houses the Slieker Film cinema.
Up to 500 guests.
Panoramazaal (up to 16 people, view over Leeuwarden), hall (receptions and conferences for up to 500 people), Theaterzaal (80 seats), Rabobank Atelier for workshops and three balconies for receptions and dinners; bridal photography by arrangement. Contact: evenementen@friesmuseum.nl.
Inquiries & details| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Video and film recording with lights, flash or tripod only with the museum's written permission |
| Good to know | Private guided tours (60 min., €89 plus admission) in Dutch, Frisian, English or German, to be booked three weeks in advance; also family, scent and dementia tours as well as a city walk to the Princessehof. Coats, umbrellas and large bags must be left in the cloakroom; no food or drink in the galleries. |
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