The world’s oldest book museum, in The Hague: medieval manuscripts, early printed books and modern artists’ books in the house of Baron van Westreenen.
September 26, 2026 – February 28, 2027
More than thirty late medieval books of hours from the collection, with a focus on the women who owned and used them, in dialogue with works by modern and contemporary women artists and queer artists.
June 28, 2026 – October 18, 2026
Sixteen recent publications by Dutch book designers on the theme of change, selected through an open call and presented in the historic Boekzaal.
March 21, 2026 – October 25, 2026
Open studio of typographer Céline Hurka, who explores plant and flower motifs in type design and shows her work alongside books from the collection.
The museum’s foundation was laid by Baron Willem Hendrik Jacob van Westreenen van Tiellandt (1783–1848), one of the most important book collectors in the Netherlands. In his town house on the Prinsessegracht he assembled medieval manuscripts, incunabula, paintings and antiquities. In his will he left the house and collection to the state – on condition that it become a museum named Meermanno-Westreenianum, after himself and the related Meerman family of collectors.
In 1852 the house opened as the Rijksmuseum Meermanno-Westreenianum, at the time only the seventh state museum in the country. The Boekzaal (book hall) with its 19th-century furnishings has survived almost unchanged to this day and is considered one of the earliest museum interiors in the Netherlands that can still be experienced.
In 1960 a second collection was added, the Museum van het Boek, devoted to international book design since around 1890. It includes a complete series of William Morris’s Kelmscott Press, the Radermacher Schorer collection and the estate of the printer Jean-François van Royen; the holdings continue to grow with artists’ books.
Over time the museum has gone by various names, from 2005 also as Huis van het Boek. Since 2026 it has been called Rijksmuseum Meermanno. Alongside the historic collection, it presents temporary exhibitions that connect old books with contemporary art, typography and illustration, and invites designers to residencies at the museum.
| Adults | €13 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €7.50Students |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 18 · Children and young people up to and including age 18 free. |
| Seniors | –No senior discount listed. |
| Students & apprentices | €7.50 |
| Groups (5+ people) | –Group tours for 5 to 20 people per guide via reserveringen@rijksmuseummeermanno.nl. |
| Cultuurkaart/CJP (adults) | €11 |
| Cultuurkaart/CJP (youth) | €6.35 |
| Group tour (60 min., 5–20 people) | €75Per guide, plus admission (Museumkaart valid) |
Free with the Museumkaart, as well as with the Vriendenpas, ICOM card or Rembrandtpas (show the original card or the official app, no photos/screenshots). The bookshop, museum café and garden are free to enter without a ticket. Walk-in visits without advance booking are possible; online tickets are optional. Card payment only.
Separate step-free entrance where a staff member welcomes visitors. Elevator and spacious accessible restroom that can also be used independently with a walker or mobility scooter. Assistance dogs with a recognizable harness are welcome.
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 18 |
|---|
Children’s workshops during school holidays, for example in the 2026 fall holidays (October 20–23, 14:00–16:00, €7.50 per child, registration required), in which children create their own mini-exhibition in the museum.
Malieveld
Malieveld tram and bus stop practically at the door; about a 10-minute walk from Den Haag Centraal station.
No on-site parking at the museum.
No parking of its own; the museum recommends the Parkeergarage Museumkwartier.
Central location on the Malieveld, part of the Museumkwartier Den Haag.
Get directionsBookshop with artists’ publications and books about books, museum café with museum garden – all accessible without admission. “Open Huis”: a free meeting place and reading spot for book lovers and reading groups.
Up to 60 guests.
Tuinzaal for 50 seated or 60 standing, museum café for 20 seated or 30 standing, meetings for 5–15 people; museum garden for receptions. Catering and technical equipment via the museum, can be combined with a guided tour. Inquiries to reserveringen@rijksmuseummeermanno.nl.
Inquiries & details| Guided tours | yes · approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided tours of the permanent collection for groups (starting Mon–Fri 9:00–15:30, Sat/Sun 11:00–15:30) on request; according to the website, occasional spontaneous short tours as well. Regular activities such as an open printing workshop, open writing workshop and book lunch. School programs from kindergarten to final year, as well as for university students. |
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