Museum Het Dolhuys - Museum of Psychiatry in Haarlem
The Netherlands has its share of uniquely-themed museums - from the Amsterdam Pipe Museum to the Museum of Fluorescent Art, a cat-art themed museum to the National Glasses Museum, even a national Funeral Museum - but one museum whose theme stands out as at once unusual and eminently worthwhile is that of Museum Het Dolhuys, a museum of psychiatry in Haarlem. Situated - appropriately - in a former psychiatric hospital just behind Haarlem Station, the museum questions the boundary between sanity and insanity as it plumbs the depths of the human psyche, both in its permanent collection and in temporary exhibits at the crossroads of art and mental illness.
Temporary exhibits frequently showcase the art of mentally ill individuals, from complete unknowns to household names - from Japanese Outsider Art to Vincent van Gogh, the subject of a popular 2010 exhibit which examined the mental state of the famously troubled painter.
The museum's mission is to educate visitor and dispel misconceptions about mental illness, and to this end, it doubles as an international research center in psychiatry, which unites experts and collects informational material about the discipline. Beside the objects and art that feature in its exhibits, Het Dolhuys also has an expansive, 7,000-title print library and a 750-film media library.
The museum premises, part of which dates back to the 14th century, also bear special mention. The historic core of the museum architecture is the Saint Jacob's Chapel (Sint-Jakobskapel), which in the mid-14th century was site of a leprosarium - an asylum for lepers. In the 17th century, as cases of leprosy became scarce, the chapel fused with the mental asylum and the city quarantine.
This was the start of the location's association with psychiatry. Two centuries later, the combined quarantine and mental asylum still served the city; in 1756, its board, comprised of rich Haarlemmers for whom charity work was symbol of status, elected to install a lavish boardroom (Regentenkamer). It survives to this day as one of only three 18th-century boardrooms left in the Netherlands, and underwent a meticulous restoration in 2010 to ensure that it retains its historic beauty for years to come.
At just a short train ride from Amsterdam Centraal Station, Museum Het Dolhuys is easily accessible by public transit and then a few minutes' walk from Haarlem Station. The museum itself is situated in peaceful enclave due just north of the station, on a bend in a picturesque canal afloat with water fowl, a view which visitors can admire from the attached museum cafe.
Address:
Schotersingel 2
2021 GE Haarlem
Phone: +31 (0)23 541 0670
Web: http://www.hetdolhuys.nl/
Business Hours:
Admission Fees:
Directions:
Multiple trains per hour connect Amsterdam Centraal, Amsterdam Zuid and other Amsterdam stations with Haarlem Station; see the Dutch Railways (NS) web site for the latest timetables and fare information.
The museum is just a few minutes' walk from Haarlem Station. From the station's north exit, follow Kennemerbrug north and make a left onto Schotersingel.
Temporary exhibits frequently showcase the art of mentally ill individuals, from complete unknowns to household names - from Japanese Outsider Art to Vincent van Gogh, the subject of a popular 2010 exhibit which examined the mental state of the famously troubled painter.
The museum's mission is to educate visitor and dispel misconceptions about mental illness, and to this end, it doubles as an international research center in psychiatry, which unites experts and collects informational material about the discipline. Beside the objects and art that feature in its exhibits, Het Dolhuys also has an expansive, 7,000-title print library and a 750-film media library.
The museum premises, part of which dates back to the 14th century, also bear special mention. The historic core of the museum architecture is the Saint Jacob's Chapel (Sint-Jakobskapel), which in the mid-14th century was site of a leprosarium - an asylum for lepers. In the 17th century, as cases of leprosy became scarce, the chapel fused with the mental asylum and the city quarantine.
This was the start of the location's association with psychiatry. Two centuries later, the combined quarantine and mental asylum still served the city; in 1756, its board, comprised of rich Haarlemmers for whom charity work was symbol of status, elected to install a lavish boardroom (Regentenkamer). It survives to this day as one of only three 18th-century boardrooms left in the Netherlands, and underwent a meticulous restoration in 2010 to ensure that it retains its historic beauty for years to come.
At just a short train ride from Amsterdam Centraal Station, Museum Het Dolhuys is easily accessible by public transit and then a few minutes' walk from Haarlem Station. The museum itself is situated in peaceful enclave due just north of the station, on a bend in a picturesque canal afloat with water fowl, a view which visitors can admire from the attached museum cafe.
Het Dolhuys Visitor Information
Address:
Schotersingel 2
2021 GE Haarlem
Phone: +31 (0)23 541 0670
Web: http://www.hetdolhuys.nl/
Business Hours:
- Tues - Fri, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- Sat - Sun, 12 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- Closed Mondays, April 27, December 25 and January 1.
Admission Fees:
- Adults: € 8.50
- Visitors 13 - 18 and 65+: € 6
- Visitors 12 and under: Free
- Additional fee for special exhibits: € 1.50
Directions:
Multiple trains per hour connect Amsterdam Centraal, Amsterdam Zuid and other Amsterdam stations with Haarlem Station; see the Dutch Railways (NS) web site for the latest timetables and fare information.
The museum is just a few minutes' walk from Haarlem Station. From the station's north exit, follow Kennemerbrug north and make a left onto Schotersingel.
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