Stadsmuseum Harderwijk

About the museum

For the town's 700th anniversary in 1931, a collection was assembled in Harderwijk and first housed in the "Overveluwsche Oudheidkamer" in the town hall on the Market Square. In 1950 the Veluwsch Museum van Oudheden (later Veluws Museum) was founded, and the collection moved to the present building on Donkerstraat. In 2000 it was renamed Stadsmuseum Harderwijk; its focus shifted from the culture of the north-western Veluwe to the particular history of the town.

In 2014 a bright conservatory was added, housing the museum café; since then the ground floor has also been free to enter. Since 2018 the Marius van Dokkum Museum has belonged to it as a branch. In 2020 the house closed for a comprehensive renovation to make the monument more sustainable and accessible, and reopened in June 2021 with a newly designed permanent exhibition.

In "Pension Harderwijk | kamers vol verhalen" historical and invented residents guide visitors through the town's history – from its days as a Hanseatic town through its time as a university town to tourism – for example mint masters, orphans, nuns, students and entrepreneurs. There are also art exhibitions of modern and contemporary figurative art, regularly changing presentations by local artists, a sculpture trail with twelve bronze figures at historic places in the town, and an audio tour of the vault paintings in the Grote Kerk.

Highlights

• Permanent exhibition "Pension Harderwijk | kamers vol verhalen"
• Twelve bronze figures on the sculpture trail through the old town
• Art exhibitions with modern figurative art
• Museum café in the conservatory with a view of the old plane tree in the garden
• Ground floor with shop, café and film room free to enter

Permanent exhibitions

• Pension Harderwijk | kamers vol verhalen – Interactive permanent exhibition on town history, in which rooms full of stories present residents from different eras.
• Beeldenroute – Twelve bronze figures by Natasja Bennink at historic places in the old town tell stories from the town's history.

Founded

1950

Operated by

Stichting Stadsmuseum Harderwijk

Director

Corien van der Meulen

Admission & discounts

The ground floor with exhibition space, museum shop, film room, salon and museum café is free to enter. Free with a Museumkaart, the VriendenLoterij VIP card and a Rembrandtkaart (show the card). Anyone with a ticket for the Marius van Dokkum Museum pays only €5 here on the same day.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• 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 museum is well accessible for wheelchair users; a separate entrance is on the right via the inner courtyard and the conservatory. The lift (140 × 80 cm) reaches all floors. A loan wheelchair (cannot be reserved) and folding stools are available. For groups with electric wheelchairs, please contact the museum in advance. Short stops with a parking card are possible on Smeepoortenbrink; accessible parking spaces are at Kloosterplein and Vitringasingel (about 2 minutes on foot). Only assistance and guide dogs are allowed.

Kids & families

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Getting there & parking

The museum is in the centre of Harderwijk on Donkerstraat.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Coat check
• Lockers

Museum café with coffee, tea and changing cakes in the conservatory and on the garden terrace, accessible without a ticket. Museum shop with art and gift items; the Museumkaart is available there.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit