Museum about the human mind and mental health in Haarlem’s 700-year-old Dolhuys – European Museum of the Year 2022.
Through January 3, 2027
Art photography, including works by Erwin Olaf, shows vitality and vulnerability in old age and encourages discussion of clichés and mental health in later life; the guest curator is Tineke Abma.
Through December 6, 2026
The photographer’s portrait series on the life wisdom of people over 80, originally created for the Bijbels Museum.
October 3, 2026 – September 30, 2027
More than 200 works from the museum’s own outsider art collection and the returned Collectie De Stadshof tell the story of art made outside the established art world; at the pop-up location in the Vleeshal on the Grote Markt.
The museum is housed in Haarlem’s former leper house, plague house and madhouse on the Schotersingel. Around 1300, a community of lepers settled here outside the city gates around a chapel, which developed into a municipal leprosarium; from 1413, suspected lepers from all over the country had to come to Haarlem for examination. In 1564 a wing with cells for the “mad” was added, and around 1675 a house of correction. Over the centuries the complex also served as a poorhouse and hospital, a home for the elderly and a crisis center. Surviving features include a regents’ room from 1756.
The idea of a national museum of the history of psychiatry arose in the late 1970s, when large institutions were being closed and their heritage was in danger of being lost. Several psychiatric institutions made their collections available, and in 2005 the Dolhuys opened in the vacated building as a museum of psychiatry. From the outset, personal experiences of those affected stood alongside the historical objects.
In 2016 the Outsider Art Museum was also established in Amsterdam. In 2020 the two were merged under the name Museum van de Geest; the Haarlem building was extensively renovated, refurnished and reopened by Queen Máxima in November 2020. In 2022 the museum received the European Museum of the Year Award.
Today the permanent presentation combines personal stories, science, historical objects and contemporary art around the question of what the human mind is and how we care for it. In 2026 the outsider art collection left Amsterdam; since October 2026 it has been on view in a pop-up exhibition in the Vleeshal on the Grote Markt in Haarlem.
| Adults | €17.50 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €10Young adults aged 18 to 22 and holders of the CJP Cultuurkaart |
| Children & teens | €5free up to age 4 · Children up to age 4 free, ages 5 to 17 €5. |
| Seniors | –No senior discount listed. |
| Visitors with disabilities | –companion free · Visitors who cannot move through the museum independently may bring a companion free of charge. |
| Students & apprentices | –No separate student discount listed; ages 18 to 22 pay €10. |
| Groups (8+ people) | €15 per personPer person, for groups of 8 or more. |
Free with the Museumkaart and VriendenLoterij VIP-KAART, as well as with the I amsterdam City Card, Haarlem Pas, friends’ card and ICOM card. Tickets online or at the ticket desk; digital guide included in admission. The pop-up location in the Vleeshal has its own tickets at the same prices.
Level, threshold-free building with a wheelchair-accessible entrance and restroom; however, access is only possible for wheelchairs up to 65 cm wide (wider wheelchairs, including motorized ones, do not fit). Loan wheelchair, folding stools and seating available. Assistance dogs with a harness allowed. Image descriptions, audio tour, induction loop and open captions; no Braille materials, no sign language offering and no low-stimulus room. With a disabled parking permit, you can park in general accessible spaces, on-street spaces and residents’ spaces in the area, but not in parking garages.
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 4 |
|---|
Interactive routes with their own guide for ages 8–12 (with rapper Willem de Bruin, nominated for the Museumkids Award 2025) and 13–17, in which children fill out a personal “user manual” and find their book doppelgänger; also recommended as a program for children’s birthday parties or after-school groups. For the youngest (ages 0–7), a hands-on children’s exhibition with statue pedestals, plus a scavenger hunt through the Dolhuys for ages 6 and up (also in English). Everything included in admission.
Haarlem, Frans Halsplein · 180 m
From Haarlem station (Kennemerplein exit), about a 5-minute walk toward Frans Halsplein. Bus line 3 (from IJmuiden or Schalkwijk Centrum) to the stop “Haarlem, Frans Halsplein,” 180 m from the museum.
No on-site parking at the museum.
No parking of its own; the nearest parking garage is Parkeergarage Cronjé on Kleverlaan. Limited paid street parking in the area (residents’ parking zone); from 21:00, parking around the museum is free.
Door-to-door route planning via 9292.nl.
Get directionsMuseum café Thuys in the old chapel with a terrace (coffee, homemade lunch, borrel/drinks), Tue–Sun 10:30–17:00; reservations for 6 or more via reserveringen@museumvandegeest.nl. The café also employs people with mental vulnerabilities or disabilities. Museum shop accessible without a ticket. Only bags up to A4 size allowed in the galleries, lockers in the foyer; larger bags can be left at reception.
Up to 140 guests.
Ketelhuis (2 × 24 seats, reception 45), Parkzaal (70 seats, reception 85), Zorgzaal in the old dormitory (115 seats, reception 140), museum café Thuys (30 seats, reception 75), Serre (15 seats, reception 20); the regents’ room is temporarily unavailable. The entire museum can also be rented. Contact: verhuur@museumvandegeest.nl.
Inquiries & details| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes (NL, EN) |
| School programs | yes |
| Photography | Photography without flash permitted; no tripods, lights or props. Images for professional use via info@museumvandegeest.nl. |
| Good to know | Tour with a digital guide (included in admission, no reservation required; also available in reading mode): the extensive Open Geest Route or the shorter Highlight Route, interactive tours in Dutch and English. Guided tours (“Open Geest”) for groups and schools, tailored to audience and age. Wide range of educational programs from primary school to university, including youth routes and the online program De Bovenkamer. No food or drink in the exhibition rooms; smoke-free premises. |
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