Museum Het Spinozahuis

About the museum

The philosopher Baruch de Spinoza lived from 1661 to 1663 in the house of the surgeon Herman Homan in Rijnsburg. There he ground lenses and worked on his early writings. A foundation stone bears the year of construction, 1661, and the building survived as a residence over the centuries until the scholar Willem Meijer established the connection with Spinoza in 1896.

A year later, in 1897, the Vereniging Het Spinozahuis was founded to acquire the house and preserve it as a memorial. The association is still its owner and operator today; it belongs to the Museum Register and to the Canon network of Dutch history, in which Spinoza and his Theological-Political Treatise are considered key items. The house has been protected as a Rijksmonument since 1971. Day-to-day operations are carried by more than thirty volunteers, who also guide groups and school classes.

In recent years the museum was completely renewed, with a new entrance building, a redesigned garden and a fully revised permanent exhibition. King Willem-Alexander opened the renewed house on 8 April 2026. The exhibition tells Spinoza's life and thought through stories, images and interactive stations rather than long texts, focusing on his search for freedom and happiness. The collection includes a reconstructed library with the books that Spinoza owned during his lifetime.

Highlights

• Spinoza's home and workplace in 1661–1663
• New interactive permanent exhibition since the 2026 opening
• The philosopher's library, which can be browsed digitally
• Reconstructed collection of Spinoza's books
• Free puzzle trails for children

Permanent exhibition

• Dauerausstellung Museum Het Spinozahuis – Spinoza's life, work and questions in stories, images and interactive stations: contemporaries tell of friendship and conflict, the library can be browsed digitally, and visitors learn why his books were once banned.

Founded

1899

Operated by

Vereniging Het Spinozahuis

Admission & discounts

Free admission with Museumkaart and for members of the Vereniging Het Spinozahuis.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• 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

The permanent exhibition on the ground floor is wheelchair accessible; the upper floor is not.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations

Several free puzzle trails for children; the exhibition uses playful, interactive elements. School classes will find their own educational programme.

Getting there & parking

By car from the direction of Amsterdam via the A4 and A44, from the direction of Rotterdam via the A13 and A44.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Museum shop with books by and about Spinoza, T-shirts, figurines, postcards and a Spinoza sealing wax.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit