Museumpark Orientalis
Extensive open-air museum park near Nijmegen with buildings and scenes from the Near East, a Jewish and an Arab village and a Roman road.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
In 1911 the Catholic priest Arnold Suys, together with the architect Jan Stuyt and the artist Piet Gerrits, founded the Heilig Landstichting. The three had been so impressed by a stay in the Holy Land that they wanted to create a living biblical landscape on the Stuwwal near Berg en Dal: a journey through time through the life of Jesus. With the support of the widow Jeanne-Cécile Vroomans-Leclerq they acquired the hills Bakkersberg (later Sionsberg) and Usulenberg and laid out a devotional park.
On a site of more than 100 hectares, an ensemble of distinctive buildings and objects gradually emerged. At first the focus was on the New Testament; from the 1960s onward, life in the historical Near East was presented more broadly. The Heilig Landstichting became the Bijbels Openluchtmuseum; in 1993 an Arab village added Islam as the third monotheistic religion. The museum later took the name Museumpark Orientalis.
Today the park tells of cultures and traditions from the Roman Empire to the present and is among the oldest open-air museums in the Netherlands. The grounds lie in hilly woodland and are a listed monument (Rijksmonument). In December the “Feest van Licht” takes place, featuring what the park says is Europe’s largest Christmas diorama.
Highlights
- Park of over 100 hectares with buildings and scenes from the world of the Near East
- Jewish and Arab villages and a Roman road with an inn
- Free electric bus and wheelchairs for loan in the hilly terrain
- Feest van Licht: Europe’s largest Christmas diorama (mid-December to early January)
- Journey through time across cultures and religions from the Romans to today
- Children’s treasure hunt and family ticket
Permanent exhibition
- Museumpark Orientalis – Dörfer und Straßen des Nahen Ostens – In the open-air grounds, the Jewish and Arab villages, the Roman road with its inn and other buildings show the living environments and religions of the Near East.
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €16 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €12.50Students (with a valid school or student ID) |
| Children & teens | €8free up to age 3 · Children aged 4 to 15; children up to 3 free. |
| Visitors with disabilities | –companion free · Wheelchair companions free; anyone who cannot move around independently may bring one companion free of charge. |
| Students & apprentices | €12.50Only with a valid school or student ID. |
| Groups | –Guided tour (2 hours, max. 20 people) for groups on request; according to the “Rondleidingen” page, €65 per group plus admission, schools €45 per guide. |
| Families | €40Family ticket. |
| Feest van Licht (adults, 15 December 2026 to 3 January 2027) | €17Children aged 4–15 €8, family ticket €40. |
| Parking token (car park opposite the entrance) | €7.50Available at the ticket desk or online. |
Free with the Museumkaart (including the Museumkidskaart), ICOM card, and for Friends and Founders of the park; the VriendenLoterij VIP-KAART is not valid. Cash payment is possible at the ticket desk in the main building. Online tickets are non-refundable.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
According to the park, the hilly wooded terrain is passable by wheelchair but not wheelchair-friendly. A free electric bus runs through the park daily until 5 p.m. (folding wheelchairs and rollators can be taken along); wheelchairs with narrow or extra-wide tyres are also available for loan (register in advance at info@museumparkorientalis.nl or +31 24 382 31 10). Companions free. An audio tour (Dutch, German, English) is available for the outdoor exhibition; a programme with a sign language interpreter is in development. Dogs are allowed on a leash, except on the Roman road and inside the buildings of the Jewish and Arab villages.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 3 |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | €40 · Family ticket. |
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
Children’s treasure hunt for the current exhibition (free with a ticket, for the whole family), family ticket, children’s programme. Children up to 3 free.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Sionsweg · 5-min walk
From Nijmegen station, city bus 5 towards Groesbeek runs about every 10 minutes to the Sionsweg stop, then about a 5-minute walk to the main entrance.
By car
Paid parking
Own car park opposite the main entrance; parking token €7.50, available at the ticket desk or online. No charging station for electric cars.
Enter “Museumpark Orientalis” as the destination in your navigation system. By bike from Nijmegen city centre about 15 minutes; bicycle racks at the main entrance. From 5 to 30 October 2026 the N325 (Ubbergseweg) between Nijmegen and Beek is closed to through traffic; the park remains open, and buses and cyclists may use the route.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Restaurant
- Museum shop
Zendo Zencafé at the entrance (Fridays only), Romeinse herberge in the middle of the park on all opening days (reservations via Knaapfood). Museum shop.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
- Private parties
- Corporate events
- Weddings / ceremonies
Up to 80 guests.
Educatieruimte in the main building (approx. 40 adults) and Piet-Gerritszaal in the Heilig Landstichting (up to 80 people); also parts of the park or the entire park for weddings, photo shoots and filming. Prices on request only (reservering@museumparkorientalis.nl).
Inquiries & detailsPlan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 2 hrs |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes (NL, DE, EN) |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Guided tours in Dutch, German and English (request via tours@museumparkorientalis.nl); school and group tours are also possible outside opening hours (reservering@museumparkorientalis.nl). |
