Welcome to the oldest museum in the Netherlands
Teylers opened its doors in 1784 and is now known as the oldest museum in the Netherlands. Fossils, minerals, instruments, books, coins, medals, paintings and drawings: the collection is unique in the world. From the start it fostered interest in both the arts and sciences – charting our knowledge of planet earth and life itself. The objects were not placed here just to be admired, but mainly to encourage new discoveries. Teylers was – and is – a place of endless wonder. Step into a time machine! Don’t forget to look at the rooms themselves and the way they are furnished: the building itself is a museum piece.
Pieter Teyler
The museum owes its existence to Pieter Teyler (1702–1778), a wealthy native of Haarlem. Teyler believed that spreading knowledge about art and science would lead to a better society. He bequeathed a fortune that made it possible to build the museum, one stage at a time, and to purchase its various collections. At the end of 2021 the home of Teyler opened to the public, after years of painstaking and extensive restoration.
For more information, visit teylersmuseum.nl