Fodor's Expert Review Teylers Museum
Just north of the Waag (the Weigh House, built entirely of stone in 1598 and now a pleasant little café), Teylers is housed in a grand 18th-century building with mosaic floors. The best sort of small museum, it is based on the whims of an eccentric private collector, in this case the 18th-century merchant Pieter Teyler van der Hulst. It's the country's oldest museum, founded in 1784, and has a mixture of exhibits: fossils and minerals sit alongside antique scientific instruments, such as a battery of 25 Leiden jars, dating to 1789 and used to store an electric charge. The major artistic attraction is a legendary collection of drawings and prints by Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Raphael, and other Old Masters that once belonged to Queen Christina of Sweden.
Finally opened to the public in 2021 following an eight-year restoration process, a new side wing to the museum now allows you to explore the adjoining home in which Pieter Teyler lived. Reception rooms and bedrooms have been opulently... READ MORE
Just north of the Waag (the Weigh House, built entirely of stone in 1598 and now a pleasant little café), Teylers is housed in a grand 18th-century building with mosaic floors. The best sort of small museum, it is based on the whims of an eccentric private collector, in this case the 18th-century merchant Pieter Teyler van der Hulst. It's the country's oldest museum, founded in 1784, and has a mixture of exhibits: fossils and minerals sit alongside antique scientific instruments, such as a battery of 25 Leiden jars, dating to 1789 and used to store an electric charge. The major artistic attraction is a legendary collection of drawings and prints by Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Raphael, and other Old Masters that once belonged to Queen Christina of Sweden.
Finally opened to the public in 2021 following an eight-year restoration process, a new side wing to the museum now allows you to explore the adjoining home in which Pieter Teyler lived. Reception rooms and bedrooms have been opulently decked out with period furnishings from the late 18th century.
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