Westfries Museum
Regional museum on the history of Hoorn and West Friesland in the Statencollege of 1632 – closed until mid-2027, with a temporary show in the Statenpoort.
About the museum
The Westfries Museum was founded in 1880 and opened in 1881 in the former Statencollege on the Roode Steen, Hoorn's central square. The Renaissance building with its stepped gable was built in 1632 as the meeting place of the Gecommitteerde Raden (deputy councils) of West Friesland and the Noorderkwartier; the coats of arms of the seven participating towns adorn the facade and the council chamber. Until 1932 the museum shared the building with the district court, a period still recalled by prison cells in the attic. Beneath the building lies a late medieval vaulted cellar from the previous house on the site.
In 1994 the neighboring house with its neoclassical facade, designed by Leendert Viervant, was added. The collection focuses on the cultural and urban history of Hoorn and West Friesland, especially the 17th century, when trade and seafaring made Hoorn one of the important cities of the Dutch Republic: paintings such as militia group portraits by Jan Albertsz Rotius, silver, porcelain, objects from the civic guards and the VOC (Dutch East India Company), and archaeological finds.
The museum has been closed for a comprehensive restoration since June 2025. The subsiding buildings on the Roode Steen are getting new foundations, the neighboring house at Roode Steen 15 is being incorporated, and a new entrance, an elevator and a pavilion for temporary exhibitions will make the complex accessible for the first time. During the excavations, archaeologists found remains of the city's oldest stone house, dating from the 14th century. After the reopening, announced for mid-2027, the history will be presented in more than 20 themed storytelling rooms. Until then, the museum is showing the multimedia show "Ontdek het verhaal van Hoorn" in the Statenpoort on the Nieuwstraat.
Highlights
- Statencollege of 1632 with its gable of coats of arms on the Roode Steen (closed for renovation)
- Militia group portraits by Jan Albertsz Rotius, including one featuring Jan Pieterszoon Coen
- Temporary multimedia show "Ontdek het verhaal van Hoorn" in the Statenpoort
- Podwalks through Hoorn's old town and harbor (Dutch, English, German)
- Archaeological finds from Hoorn's oldest stone house, dating from the 14th century
Permanent exhibitions
- Ontdek het verhaal van Hoorn – Multimedia show projected onto the interior walls of the Statenpoort about the rise and the darker sides of the trading city – from the naval battle on the Zuiderzee and the nutmeg trade to Black servants – complemented by two podwalks through the town and harbor.
- Founded
- 1880
- Operated by
- Gemeente Hoorn
- Director
- Amanda Vollenweider
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €7.50 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | €2.50Young people under 16: €2.50 |
| Seniors | –No senior discount in the price list |
| Visitors with disabilities | –companion free · A companion you bring along is admitted free (let the ticket desk know) |
Prices for the multimedia show with podwalks in the Statenpoort. Free with the Museumkaart; also free with the VriendenLoterij VIP card and for Friends of the museum. The podwalks can also be purchased separately online.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom
- 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
The Statenpoort is largely wheelchair-accessible; on the street side there is a threshold of about 12 cm (staff will help), and inside there are a few low wooden thresholds. Wheelchair-accessible restroom available. Sign language videos with English subtitles for the multimedia show on request. Regular "Special Guest" days with extra assistance; please register any support needs in advance via info@wfm.nl. The main building was not accessible before the renovation; after the reopening, an elevator and a new entrance are to make most of it accessible.
Kids & families
- Stroller-friendly
The Statenpoort is easy to get around with a stroller.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Gedempte Turfhaven · 2-min walk
About a 10-minute walk from Hoorn station (or 5 minutes by OV-fiets rental bike). Connexxion bus 14 toward Station Hoorn Kersenboogerd to Gedempte Turfhaven, then a 2-minute walk.
By car
Parking available · 3-min walk to the entrance
No dedicated parking; the recommended option is the ’t Jeudje parking garage, about a 3-minute walk away. Tour buses may only enter the city center with a special permit and park at Nieuwe Wal/Julianapark (about a 15-minute walk).
Information applies to the temporary venue, the Statenpoort; about 5 minutes by taxi from the station.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Plan your visit
| Audio guide | yes (NL, EN, DE) |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | The multimedia show (about 15 minutes, in Dutch, English and German) serves as the starting point for two podwalks on your own smartphone: the city route takes about 1 hour, the harbor route about 1.5 hours; a printed walking booklet is also available. Guided city walk "Het verhaal van Hoorn" through the external provider Local Guide Hoorn. Free school programs continue during the closure, including in the Werkplaats in the Boterhal on the Kerkplein. |
