Museums · The Hague · Netherlands
6 best museums in The Hague
The collections worth your time, how long each takes and how to fit them together.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
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Quick answer
Start with Mauritshuis, Kunstmuseum Den Haag and Escher in Het Paleis. Together the 6 picks below take roughly 11–13 hours across 6 areas; all charge for entry.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 6
- Free entry
- 0
- Time to see them all
- 11–13 hours
- Areas
- Centrum and the Hofvijver, Statenkwartier and Hofkwartier and Noordeinde
Museums in The Hague
Museum · Centrum and the Hofvijver
1.Mauritshuis
This 17th-century palace on the Hofvijver holds a focused collection of Dutch Golden Age painting, including Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring and View of Delft, Rembrandt's The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp and Carel Fabritius's The Goldfinch.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
Museum · Statenkwartier
2.Kunstmuseum Den Haag
Housed in a 1935 building by H.P.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Architecture
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Museum · Hofkwartier and Noordeinde
3.Escher in Het Paleis
The former winter palace of Queen Emma on Lange Voorhout displays M.C.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Kids
- Rainy day
Gallery · Zeeheldenkwartier
4.Panorama Mesdag
Painted in 1881 by Hendrik Willem Mesdag and others, this 360-degree panorama of Scheveningen's beach and village, about 120 metres around and 14 metres high, is viewed from a central dune platform that tricks the eye into seeing the real coast.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Museum · Mariahoeve
5.Louwman Museum
A private collection of several hundred historic cars, from early steam carriages and 19th-century motor cars to racing cars and cars of film stars and royalty, displayed in a purpose-built museum near the Clingendael estate.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- History
- Rainy day
Gallery · Wassenaar
6.Museum Voorlinden
A modern-art museum on a country estate in neighbouring Wassenaar, with permanent works such as Ron Mueck's giant Couple under an Umbrella, James Turrell's Skyspace and Leandro Erlich's swimming pool installation, plus gardens by Piet Oudolf and dune walks.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Architecture
- Outdoors
- Couples
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Centrum and the Hofvijver | Mauritshuis | 2 hours |
| Statenkwartier | Kunstmuseum Den Haag | 2–3 hours |
| Hofkwartier and Noordeinde | Escher in Het Paleis | 1.5 hours |
| Zeeheldenkwartier | Panorama Mesdag | 1 hour |
| Mariahoeve | Louwman Museum | 2 hours |
| Wassenaar | Museum Voorlinden | 2–3 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 6, 6 mid-priced. Book ahead for Mauritshuis and Museum Voorlinden. The longest visit is Kunstmuseum Den Haag; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- Mauritshuis: Timed tickets bought online help on weekends and in school holidays.
- Museum Voorlinden: Timed tickets are advisable at weekends.
How to fit them into 3 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Centrum and the Hofvijver and Statenkwartier): Mauritshuis → Kunstmuseum Den Haag, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Hofkwartier and Noordeinde, Zeeheldenkwartier and Mariahoeve): Escher in Het Paleis → Panorama Mesdag → Louwman Museum, at least 5 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Wassenaar): Museum Voorlinden, at least 2 hours.
The quietest months for queues
- February: highs of 7°C (45°F), about 10 rainy days, quiet crowds. Short, chilly days; a good month for the Mauritshuis and Kunstmuseum.
- March: highs of 10°C (50°F), about 11 rainy days, quiet crowds. Days lengthen and Keukenhof usually opens later in the month.
- January: highs of 6°C (43°F), about 12 rainy days, quiet crowds. Cold, grey and windy, but museums are quiet and hotel rates are low outside conference weeks.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Centrum and the Hofvijver — Government buildings, the Mauritshuis and terraces on the Plein and Grote Markt
- Hofkwartier and Noordeinde — Antique shops, galleries and the King's working palace in the old court quarter
- Zeeheldenkwartier — A 19th-century residential quarter of cafés and shops west of the centre
- Statenkwartier — Grand townhouses and museums between the city and the dunes
More of The Hague
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in The Hague?
Mauritshuis. This 17th-century palace on the Hofvijver holds a focused collection of Dutch Golden Age painting, including Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring and View of Delft, Rembrandt's The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Nicolaes Tulp and Carel Fabritius's The Goldfinch.