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Museums in Utrecht: from the Domplein to the railways

Roman remains under the Domplein, barrel organs in a church and a house that reinvented living: Utrecht keeps surprising you.

Place: Utrecht

Almost all museums in Utrecht are in or close to the old city centre. You walk from the Domplein to a medieval church full of musical clocks and on to a former convent with art. Utrecht is also the city of Miffy and of the Rietveld Schröder House. That gives it museums for toddlers, for architecture fans and for everyone in between. The station is central, so Utrecht makes an easy day trip by train. Below you read which museums to combine and where to go with children.

Museums in Utrecht city centre

The old centre of Utrecht works like one large museum quarter. Under the Domplein you explore DOMunder with a torch, past the remains of a Roman fort. At Museum Speelklok you come mainly to listen, to barrel organs and musical clocks inside a medieval church. The Centraal Museum, founded in 1838 and the oldest municipal museum in the Netherlands, shows Utrecht masters, fashion and design, with a ship from around the year 1000 in its cellar. Museum Catharijneconvent tells the story of religious art and history in an old convent. Everything is within walking distance, so you can easily combine two of them in one day.

Museums in Utrecht for children

Utrecht is one of the friendliest museum cities for families. With toddlers you go to the nijntje museum, made for children up to six, because Miffy was born here. It stands opposite the Centraal Museum on the Agnietenstraat, so one adult can look at the paintings while the children play, and then you swap. Slightly older children can spend a whole day at the Railway Museum, set in a station from 1874 with locomotives as tall as a house. The museum even has its own station: a train runs once an hour from Utrecht Central to Utrecht Maliebaan, right next to the entrance. Reserve a time slot before you go, also with a Museumkaart.

Design and the Rietveld Schröder House

If you love design, the Rietveld Schröder House is the place to go. Gerrit Rietveld designed it in 1924 for Truus Schröder and her three children, and today it is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The house is managed by the Centraal Museum but lies outside the centre on the Prins Hendriklaan, so plan it as a separate visit. Only a few visitors are allowed inside at a time, which means you book ahead. Back in the centre, the Centraal Museum also has design and work by Dick Bruna, the creator of Miffy, in its collection. With the Museumkaart, the Dutch annual museum pass, you get into the Centraal Museum for free.

All museums in Utrecht

Here you find all the museums in the city of Utrecht. For museums elsewhere in the province, such as in Amersfoort and Doorn, use the map.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to book the Rietveld Schröder House?
Yes. Only a few visitors can go inside at a time, so book in advance through the Centraal Museum.
How do I get to the Railway Museum?
From Utrecht Central Station a train runs once an hour to Utrecht Maliebaan, the station next to the museum. Several buses also stop within walking distance.
Which museum is best for toddlers?
The nijntje museum, Miffy's own museum, is made for children up to six. It is right opposite the Centraal Museum.
Is the Museumkaart valid in Utrecht?
Yes, at the Centraal Museum and the Railway Museum, among others. At the Railway Museum you still reserve a time slot and bring the physical card.
Where can I see all the museums on a map?
Open the map of Utrecht. It also shows the museums in the rest of the province.

A walk through the old centre

Find the museums around the Dom and the Oudegracht and plan your walk.

Open the map

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