Pilgrim Museum Leiden

About the museum

The English Separatists, later known as the Pilgrims, came to Leiden in 1609 because the city allowed them to practice their religion freely. For about twelve years they lived mainly in the neighborhood around the Pieterskerk, working as weavers, printers, tobacco merchants or hatters; their pastor John Robinson was buried in the Pieterskerk in 1625. In 1620 part of the congregation set out via England on the Mayflower for North America, where they founded Plymouth Colony.

The museum was founded in 1997 by the American historian Jeremy Bangs (1946–2023), who published numerous books on the history of the Pilgrims. Until 2024 it was located in a late-medieval house at Beschuitsteeg 9, next to the bell tower of the Hooglandse Kerk. There it displayed a home furnished in the style of the Pilgrims' era, with furniture and household goods, as well as 16th- and 17th-century maps and prints, including works by Gerard Mercator, aiming to show the reality behind the Pilgrim myth.

Today the Stichting Pieterskerk Leiden looks after the collection. In October 2025 the museum reopened in the former sexton's house of the Pieterskerk on the Kloksteeg, right in the neighborhood where the Pilgrims once lived. Using original objects, documents and personal stories, it tells of the congregation's life in Leiden and its journey to the New World.

Highlights

• Original objects and documents on the life of the Pilgrims in Leiden (1609–1620)
• Furniture and household goods from the Pilgrims' era
• 16th- and 17th-century maps and prints
• Setting in the former sexton's house of the Pieterskerk, where Pilgrim pastor John Robinson is buried
• Can be combined with a visit to the Pieterskerk

Permanent exhibitions

• The Pilgrims in Leiden – Objects, documents and life stories about the Pilgrim congregation in Leiden and its departure for America.

Founded

1997

Operated by

Stichting Pieterskerk Leiden

Admission & discounts

Museumkaart not (yet) accepted. Free with the Leiden Sleutelpas and with ICOM and ICOMOS cards. Tickets at Museumcafé Pieter, card payment only.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Not accessible to wheelchair users due to the cramped rooms and stairs. Dogs are not allowed in the museum.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Getting there & parking

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Coat check: not available

The Pieterskerk's Museumcafé Pieter (Tuesday to Sunday 11:00–18:00) serves coffee, cake and lunch dishes; tickets are also sold there. Large bags and backpacks are not allowed; umbrellas can be left in the hallway.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Plan your visit