Museum Paulina Bisdom van Vliet
Originally preserved residence museum of the Bisdom van Vliet family in Haastrecht, with late 19th-century interiors.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Marcellus Bisdom van Vliet, mayor of the village, had the house on the Hoogstraat in Haastrecht built in 1874 to 1877 on the site of an older family house. The family had lived in Haastrecht since 1685 and had prospered through the growing and trading of hemp for rope and sailcloth. Marcellus died before the house was finished; his daughter Paulina moved in with her husband Johan le Fèvre de Montigny, who became mayor after 1877 and died in 1881.
Paulina then lived alone with her staff for forty years in the house with thirteen rooms and managed the family's property. She was active for the village: she had a meeting house built for the Protestant association, founded a girls' school and supported clubs; in 1900 she also had the Theater Concordia built. After her death in 1923, her house became a museum, as she had stipulated in her will, and it has welcomed visitors since May 1924. She is buried in her own garden next to her husband.
The museum is unusual because it shows almost unchanged the condition of a lived-in house. Knotted Deventer carpets, heavy curtains with velvet bows and fringes, crystal, silver, a three-hundred-piece dinner service and family portraits shape the rooms. The furniture includes some rare pieces from the 17th and 18th centuries, such as an ebony art cabinet. Across the road lies the Overtuin, a historic landscape garden; together with the museum it forms the Buitenplaats Bisdom van Vliet.
Highlights
- Original living rooms from around 1875 with Deventer carpets and heavy curtains
- Three-hundred-piece dinner service, crystal and silver
- Ebony art cabinet and other 17th- and 18th-century furniture
- Family portraits of the Bisdom van Vliet family
- Historic Overtuin garden opposite the house
Permanent exhibition
- Wohnhaus-Interieur von Paulina Bisdom van Vliet – The living rooms are still largely furnished as they were during the lifetime of the last resident; carpets, curtains, the service, furniture and paintings are shown without museum add-ons.
- Founded
- 1924
- Operated by
- Stichting Bisdom van Vliet
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €11 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 17 · Children and young people under 18 enter free. |
| Groups (10+ people) | –Guided tour for groups of 10 to 15 people €25, for 16 to 30 people €50 (plus admission) |
| Group guided tour (10–15 people) | €25in addition to admission, about 1.5 hours |
| Group guided tour (16–30 people) | €50in addition to admission, two guides |
| Wedding photos in the museum | €103for up to four people, during regular opening hours |
The Museumkaart is valid.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: not available
- Elevator: not available
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: not available
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
Wheelchairs, electric mobility scooters, rollators, pets and assistance dogs cannot be brought in because of the limited space. The museum has no elevator; most rooms have chairs for sitting.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Haastrecht Centrum
From Gouda station take regional bus line U-OV 106 or 307 toward Haastrecht to the Haastrecht Centrum stop, then a few minutes on foot.
By car
Parking available
Own car park opposite the museum next to the Overtuin and the De Liezeborgh care center (satnav: Liezeweg 31, 2851 ED Haastrecht); also a few spaces at the junction of Hoogstraat/Provinciale Weg and at Concordiaplein 1.
The museum is on the N228 between Gouda and Oudewater.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café: not available
- Restaurant: not available
- Coat check
- Lockers
The museum has no food service; there are inns in the village. Bags may not be taken into the exhibition and are kept at the cloakroom or, if available, in a free locker.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 1.5 hrs |
|---|---|
| Photography | Photography and filming are not allowed in the museum (exception: the vestibule for selfies and group photos). |
| Good to know | Individual visitors can book a 1.5-hour time slot online (room for 15 visitors per slot); spontaneous visits are usually possible too. Visits may last as long as you like. House rules: no shoes with heels or coarse soles, no eating or drinking, no large bags. |
