Wereldmuseum Rotterdam
An ethnographic museum in a 19th-century former yacht club building on the Maas, presenting diverse cultures through a dialogue between artefacts from around the world and contemporary art.
The Wereldmuseum is housed in a building on the Willemskade that was completed in 1851 as the former Royal Yacht Club. It is one of the oldest ethnographic museums in the Netherlands. The collection includes tens of thousands of objects from Asia, Africa, Oceania and the Americas. Exhibitions often pair traditional artefacts with contemporary art and popular culture, such as the “Superstreet” interactive street culture exhibition aimed at young visitors. Admission is about €17.50, and the Dutch Museumkaart is accepted. Opening hours are Tuesday to Friday 10:00–17:00 and weekends 11:00–17:00, and the museum is closed on Mondays. It is a five-minute walk from the north end of the Erasmus Bridge and can be combined with the old harbour and the Maritime Museum. From the riverbank in front of the museum, you can see the Swan Bridge and the high-rises of the Kop van Zuid.
Opening hours
Tue–Fri 10:00–17:00; Sat–Sun 11:00–17:00; closed Mon (except school holidays)
Nearby sights
- Spido Harbour Tour
- Hotel New York & Kop van Zuid
- Erasmus Bridge
- Fenix
- Kunsthal
- Maritime Museum Rotterdam
- Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen
- SS Rotterdam