Westfries Museum

The shining past of the Netherlands

Hoorn - The Westfries Museum is a museum of the Golden Age, housed in one of Hoorn's most beautiful monuments, the Statencollege, which was built in 1632. It is easy to recognize by its richly adorned facade. As imposing as the building is on the outside, as intimate it is inside. You can enjoy wandering through as many as 27 rooms, each with its own atmosphere and theme.

The museum's strength lies in its variety. The presentation of the classical collection is full of atmosphere. The museum approaches the subjects in the exhibitions and activities from an original and surprising angle. This combination of classical and contemporary is the unique signature of the Westfries Museum. The museum does its best to offer you an informative and pleasant visit. Hospitality is the first matter of importance.

The signature of the Westfries Museum

The Westfries Museum is all about the Golden Age. A period from history where Westfrisian trading cities like Enkhuizen, Hoorn and Medemblik thrived enormously and became formidable players in an international trading network.
The museum leads the visitor into this highly important episode of Westfrisian history in different ways.

In the monumental seventeenth century Statencollege the most important objects from the museum collection are on display. The presentation of the classical collection is full of atmosphere. The combination of monumental rooms and objects from the same time makes the visitor imagine being in the Golden Age for a moment. With contemporary media (audio tours, QR codes) that aren't an intrusion on the atmosphere, the collection is explained.

The museum chooses a different approach for the exhibitions and activities. No matter how fascinating the episode is, interest in the Golden Age is not a given. The museum considers it its job to continually give its own collection and its own story new relevance by making a bridge to the experience of today's visitor. That is why surprising links are made between the present and past in exhibitions and activities.