Mauritshuis Museum

Address: Mauritshuis, Plein 29, 2511 CS The Hague (Den Haag), Netherlands

Website: https://www.mauritshuis.nl/en/

The Mauritshuis is a small art museum in The Hague housed in a 17th-century mansion that specialises in Dutch Golden Age painting. Its collection includes internationally renowned works by Vermeer, Rembrandt and other masters.

Built in the mid-17th century as a private residence for John Maurice of Nassau-Siegen, the building was later repurposed to house state collections and opened as a public museum in the early 19th century; it has undergone recent restorations to upgrade gallery and visitor facilities. Over time the Mauritshuis collection has been augmented by purchases and donations that concentrated its strengths in Dutch Golden Age art.

The museum sits on the Buitenhof in the historic centre of The Hague, opposite the Royal Palace and within walking distance of government buildings and other cultural institutions.

• Famous works: The museum is home to iconic works such as Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring” and Rembrandt’s “The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp,” making it a key stop for Dutch Golden Age painting.

What to See#

• Main galleries: Permanent galleries housing Dutch Golden Age paintings and smaller rooms configured for the museum’s core collection of 17th-century works.
• Temporary exhibition spaces: A series of rooms for rotating temporary exhibitions and conservation displays adjacent to the historic 17th-century mansion building.

Mauritshuis is in the centre of The Hague beside the Binnenhof (Plein). It’s a short walk from The Hague Central railway station or from tram/bus stops on Plein; the museum is easy to reach on foot from central tram stops and from nearby rail stations (about 5 minutes’ walk from Plein/Binnenhof area).

• Buy a timed-entry ticket online and aim for the first available slot after opening to see the Mauritshuis galleries-early visits make it easier to view highlights like Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring without shoulder-to-shoulder crowds.
• Plan to combine Mauritshuis with a short walk around the Binnenhof and Buitenhof; the museum's compact layout rewards a focused visit, so schedule time for nearby outdoor photos and cafés rather than a rushed in-and-out.
• Check whether temporary exhibitions require a separate ticket and arrive slightly before your timeslot to pick up audio guides or printed guides-many visitors hurry through the permanent collection and miss curator highlights explained in the supplementary materials.