Museum Het Leids Wevershuis

Current exhibitions

About the museum

The little house on the Middelstegracht stands in a neighborhood that came within Leiden's walls around 1350 when the city limits were extended, and that was quickly built up as the cloth industry flourished. A linen weaver was already living on this spot in 1561. The core of the current building dates from 1626 to 1631; the façade, roof structure, and floor tiles go back to that construction.

In the 1960s, the city planned to demolish most of the old working-class neighborhoods. In response, Leiden residents founded the Stichting Het Kleine Leidse Woonhuis in 1976, which over the decades saved many weavers' houses and almshouse courtyards from demolition and had them renovated. The house at Middelstegracht 143 remained a special case: its last occupant had barely changed it in some forty years; it had neither a kitchen nor a shower, and the last major improvement had been its connection to the electricity grid around 1955. The box beds between the front and back rooms were still in place.

In the early 2000s, the fire department declared the dilapidated house uninhabitable; in 2003 the municipality of Leiden decided to buy it. The specially founded Stichting Het Leids Wevershuis secured the building in the condition in which it was found instead of restoring it, and set it up as a house museum with a loom in the front room. The museum has no collection of its own: the house itself tells of the everyday life of ordinary Leiden residents between 1550 and 1950. Volunteers run it, regularly weave in front of visitors, and show changing exhibitions with a textile or historical connection.

Highlights

• Largely unaltered 17th-century working-class house with interior details from around 1900
• Surviving box beds between the front and back rooms
• Weaving demonstrations on a historic loom from 1830 and occasional spinning
• Changing textile art exhibitions
• Neighborhood walks through the alleys, gateways, and courtyards of the weavers' quarter

Permanent exhibitions

• Het Wevershuis – The weaver's house, preserved as found, with living rooms, box beds, weaving room, and attic as a testament to working-class life in Leiden.

Founded

2005

Operated by

Stichting Museum Het Leids Wevershuis

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Free admission; voluntary donations welcome. Cash only in the museum (no card payment).

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• Elevator: not available
• 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

Narrow hallway and high door thresholds; only visitors with a narrow wheelchair and a companion can visit the first floor.

Kids & families

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

Getting there & parking

By car via the A4, exit Leiden/Voorschoten, then follow signs for Leiden Centrum and Parkeergarage Haarlemmerstraat. The museum advises against arriving via Leiden Lammenschans station.

Amenities & dining

• Café: not available
• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop

Restroom available; no food or drinks. Small shop in the former weaving room with handwoven products, books, and brochures (cash only), including the walking guide "Schering en inslag."

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

Up to 25 guests.

Living room for small gatherings, meetings, or presentations with about 25 people; courtyard and attic can also be used. Price depends on duration and space required.

Plan your visit