Rijksmuseum van Oudheden

Current exhibitions

About the museum

The museum was founded in 1818 as the archaeological cabinet of Leiden University. Its first director was Caspar Reuvens, a pioneer of scientific archaeology. The core of the collection consisted of some 150 Greek and Roman sculptures that had been bequeathed to the university back in 1744. In 1821 the collection was first displayed in a small house on the Houtstraat; for lack of space, it moved in 1838 to a larger building on the Breestraat.

In the 19th century the Egyptian and classical holdings in particular grew rapidly, partly through acquisitions from collectors such as Jean Emile Humbert, through whom the pair statue of Maya and Merit came to Leiden. Until World War II the museum was also the only official excavation authority in the Netherlands. After the natural history museum left the complex at Rapenburg 28 in 1918, the museum moved into the canal-side buildings it still occupies today.

To house the Temple of Taffeh, which Egypt gave to the Netherlands in gratitude for its help in the UNESCO campaign to save the monuments of Nubia, the inner courtyard was roofed over in the 1970s; since 1979 the temple has stood in today's entrance hall. A major renovation from 1996 to 2000 created additional exhibition space, after which the permanent exhibitions were gradually renewed.

Since 1995 the museum has been an independent foundation managing the archaeological part of the national collection. Its roughly 180,000 objects cover Egypt and Nubia, classical antiquity, the ancient Near East and the archaeology of the Netherlands; the Egyptian collection ranks among the most important in the world.

Highlights

• The roughly 2,000-year-old Egyptian Temple of Taffeh in the freely accessible Tempelzaal
• Pair statue of the married couple Maya and Merit and brightly painted mummy coffins
• Light show on the temple about the museum's history (daily at 11:30, 13:30 and 15:30)
• Gilded silver Roman cavalry helmet from the Peel and the princely grave of Oss
• Portrait head of Gudea of Lagash in the Ancient Near East department
• Evening opening on Thursdays from 19:00 to 22:00

Permanent exhibitions

• Egypte en Nubië – More than 1,400 objects from the Egyptian collection, focusing on painted mummy coffins, mummies and figures of gods.
• Klassieke wereld – Art and everyday life in ancient Greece, among the Etruscans and in the Roman Empire, in the context of neighboring cultures.
• Archeologie van Nederland – A tour through some 300,000 years of Dutch history based on 75 key archaeological sites, plus a section on the Roman period.

Founded

1818

Director

Wim Weijland

Visitors per year

approx. 193,000 (2024)

Admission & discounts

Admission includes the audio tour. Free with a Museumkaart; also free with the VriendenLoterij VIP-KAART (one person), as a member of the Vereniging Rembrandt or the RoMeO friends' association, with an ICOM card and with a CJP-Pas for those under 18. Booking in advance is possible but not necessary; tickets are also sold at the ticket desk. The Museumkaart is available at the ticket desk (€75, up to age 18 €39). Payment in cash, by debit card or Visa/Mastercard; Cultuurkaart only at the ticket desk.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The entire museum is accessible to wheelchair users; five loaner wheelchairs at the ticket desk (€2 deposit, no reservation), a companion is required and admitted free. Not suitable for mobility scooters; inquire in advance about large wheelchairs. One accessible parking space directly in front of the museum on the Rapenburg. Folding stools available. Member of the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower network. Guided tour and workshop on ancient Egypt for visually impaired children (included in admission). A few low-stimulus evenings each year.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Kids’ birthday parties

Additional free children's activities such as crafts and scavenger hunts during all school holidays. Year-round scavenger hunts for children ages 4 and up (€2.95) and a children's audio tour through the Egypt department. Children's birthday parties on Egypt or the Romans for ages 8 and up. Until June 2027, the hands-on exhibition “Monsters en mythische wezens” for families with children from about age 7. Free admission up to age 18.

Getting there & parking

By car via the A44 (exit 8 Leiden) or the A4 (exit 7 Zoeterwoude-Dorp) toward Haagweg; the Haagweg parking lot is just before the Rapenburg.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Coat check
• Lockers
• Wi-Fi

Museum café next to the temple in the freely accessible Tempelzaal, daily 10:00–17:00 (sandwiches, soup, pastries). Museum shop with replicas, jewelry and specialist books. Free, unattended cloakroom and free lockers (coins at the ticket desk). Free Wi-Fi. The museum is kept at a constant 21 °C (70 °F).

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

Up to 400 guests.

The Tempelzaal with the Egyptian temple for lectures, dinners (up to 200 people each) and receptions (up to 400), only outside opening hours; the Leemanszaal (up to 70) and Trajanuszaal (up to 50) for conferences and presentations. All rooms are on the first floor with daylight; conference packages and group tours can be booked. Evening dates in late 2026/early 2027 are only available to a limited extent. Contact: venue rental department, +31 71 516 3139.

Plan your visit