Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen

Rotterdam’s oldest and most iconic art museum

Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen is the oldest and one of the best-known museums in Rotterdam.

It opened its doors in 1849 in the Schielandshuis, thanks to lawyer Frans Jacob Boijmans, who donated his art collection to the city.

After a fire in 1864, a large part of the collection was lost. As the collection later expanded, a new museum building was constructed in Museumpark and opened in 1935.

In 1958, the important collection of businessman Daniël George van Beuningen was added, and the museum has carried its current name ever since.

A journey through centuries of art

The museum’s collection spans centuries of art history and includes Old Masters, prints and drawings, decorative arts, and modern and contemporary art.

Artists represented in the collection include Hieronymus Bosch, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Rembrandt, Claude Monet, Wassily Kandinsky, Vincent van Gogh, René Magritte and Salvador Dalí.

The museum also has an important collection of works on paper, including prints, drawings and lithographs, ranging from the Middle Ages to the present day.

It also holds an extensive collection of decorative arts and design, from historical objects to furniture by renowned designers.

The museum during its renovation

The main building of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen is currently closed for a major renovation and modernisation project.

The renovation is scheduled to begin in earnest at the end of 2026, with the renewed museum expected to reopen to the public in 2030. Until then, visitors can continue to discover parts of the museum’s collection through exhibitions, activities and the nearby Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen.

Next to the museum is the Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen, a spectacular publicly accessible art storage facility where visitors can discover a large part of the museum’s collection and see how artworks are stored and conserved.

Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen: practical information

ℹ️ QUICK INFORMATION
🏛️ Museum	Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen
🎨 Focus	Old Masters, modern art, contemporary art and design
📅 Founded	1849
🏗️ Main building	Opened in Museumpark in 1935
🔨 Current status	Closed for renovation
📅 Expected reopening	2030
📍 Area	Museumpark
📌 Address	Museumpark 18, 3015 CX Rotterdam

What to see near Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen

The museum is located in Museumpark, one of Rotterdam’s main cultural areas. Nearby you will find the Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen, the Chabot Museum, the Kunsthal and Het Nieuwe Instituut.

Other museums in Rotterdam