The largest museum of art and design in the northern Netherlands – in a postmodern building by Mendini, Starck, De Lucchi and Coop Himmelb(l)au.
September 19, 2026 – May 9, 2027
International group exhibition on the relationship between artistic work and everyday chores such as cooking and cleaning, with works by artists including Frances Stark, Zaha Hadid, Alessandro Mendini and Mierle Laderman Ukeles.
September 19, 2026 – January 10, 2027
Art biennale with and for children and young people about rules, imagination and play; a group of children helped create several of the works.
September 19, 2026 – May 9, 2027
The artist shows episodes of her video soap opera based on a 17th-century play, including a new episode filmed in the museum, in dialogue with works by De Ploeg and Alida Pott.
September 19, 2026 – January 10, 2027
In the Starck pavilion, Matthew Lutz-Kinoy and Natsuko Uchino present their ceramic tableware set "Keramikos 2", comprising more than 300 pieces, together with selected objects from the museum collection.
The Groninger Museum was founded in 1874 and was initially housed at two other locations in the city before finding its current home. Over more than a century, the collection grew into broad holdings of archaeology, regional history, old and modern art, and decorative arts.
In 1994 the museum moved into a spectacular new building on an island in the canal between the main station and the old town, connected to the city by the movable H. N. Werkmanbrug. Under then-director Frans Haks, Alessandro Mendini designed the overall concept and invited Philippe Starck, Michele de Lucchi and the Vienna firm Coop Himmelb(l)au to each design a pavilion of their own. Its centerpiece is the golden, windowless tower, which was intended as a storage depot. Queen Beatrix opened the building, which is now regarded as a key work of postmodern architecture and offers more than 5,000 square meters of exhibition space.
The collection comprises more than 60,000 objects spanning five millennia – from East Asian ceramics and paintings by Vincent van Gogh to fashion by Viktor & Rolf and Iris van Herpen and design by Studio Alchimia and Memphis. A key focus is the Groningen artists' association De Ploeg, whose works the museum holds in the largest collection anywhere, supplemented by a long-term loan of more than 2,000 works from the Stichting De Ploeg.
In 2021 the museum became the first in the country to host a children's biennale. Since 2016 it has also managed John Hejduk's Wall House #2 on the Hoornse Meer. Since fall 2026 the museum has organized its program around themes that change each year.
| Adults | €19.50 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €10Students and CJP holders |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 18 · Children and young people up to and including age 18 free. |
| Seniors | –No senior discount listed in the price list. |
| Visitors with disabilities | –companion free · Companions of visitors who cannot get around the museum independently receive a free ticket (can be ordered through the ticket shop). |
| Students & apprentices | €10Students and CJP holders. |
| Groups | –Groups book guided tours and packages via boekingen@groningermuseum.nl. |
| JuniorClub membership (children aged 7–12, per calendar year) | €30Each additional child from the same family €20; includes free admission and club activities. |
Free with the Museumkaart; also free with the Rembrandtkaart, ICOM card, Stadjerspas, VriendenLoterij card and for members of the Vereniging Vrienden, Groninger Museum Salon and Groninger Museum Club. Tickets at the ticket desk or online in advance; tickets bought online for a specific date/time expire after that. The Museumkaart is available at the museum.
Easily accessible for wheelchairs and mobility scooters; a few loan wheelchairs and rollators (reservation recommended at +31 50 366 6555 or info@groningermuseum.nl). Accessible restroom on level −1. Two accessible parking spaces on the Ubbo Emmiussingel right by the museum. Low-sensory opening hours with dimmed lighting and a quiet room; tours in sign language and for blind and visually impaired people with tactile objects (dates in the program). Free color-blindness correction glasses at the information desk. A museum shuttle picks visitors up from home.
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 18 |
|---|
The museum hosts a children's biennale (2026/27: "Playing House", with contributions from a group of children). Children up to age 18 get free admission. Children aged 7 to 12 can join the JuniorClub (studio sessions, behind-the-scenes looks, meetings with artists). With an Airstream trailer converted into a mini museum ("Groninger Museum On Tour"), the museum also travels to schools and festivals.
Groningen (Hoofdstation) · 300 m
Groningen Hoofdstation (train) is only about 300 m away, opposite the museum; access via the bridge to the museum island.
Paid parking
Nearest parking garage: Q-Park Museum Centrum; alternatively other Q-Park garages in the city center or inexpensive P+R lots on the outskirts with onward travel by public transport (current information from VisitGroningen).
By car via the A7 or A28 (via Zwolle); from Europaplein follow the signs toward the center. Since April 1, 2025, a zero-emission zone for commercial vehicles has applied in the city center. Bicycles can be parked on the Ubbo Emmiussingel, in the racks by the water or in the Stadsbalkon bicycle garage at the main station.
Get directionsMuseumcafé (also packages with coffee, lunch or drinks for groups; Job Lounge dining room); museum shop with books, posters and design.
Exhibition and reception spaces for conferences, receptions, parties, presentations and meetings – according to the museum, exclusively for the museum's sponsors and business partners.
Inquiries & details| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
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| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Photography and filming allowed without flash, lamps, selfie sticks or tripods; publication only with written permission from the museum's management. |
| Good to know | Custom guided tours (60 minutes) for groups on request via boekingen@groningermuseum.nl, tailored to age and interests, including tours on the architecture. School classes of all levels must always register in advance. Suitcases and backpacks larger than 40 × 60 cm or heavier than 10 kg are not allowed (lockers at the station across the street); umbrellas and large bags must be left at a designated spot. |
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