What to do and see in The Hague, South Holland Province: The Best Specialty Museums

The Oranjehotel was the nickname for the Scheveningen prison during the Second World War. Here, the Germans detained over 25000 people for interrogation and prosecution. Often, the reason was that they were involved with the resistance. During a visit to the Oranjehotel, you will get to hear the impressive stories of the prisoners. It makes you realise just how vulnerable freedom really is.

Discover Holland's highlights and heritage in this world famous miniature and Holland theme park. You will discover Holland’s most iconic landmarks and history through a story of magnificent miniatures and indoor attractions. The stunning park filled with flowers is a beauty for the eye and shows 338 miniatures. From little Amsterdam to Dutch national architecture built on a scale of 1:25 with miniature trains, boats and cars moving around. Madurodam will make you discover Holland's rich history with remarkable stories like the Dutch ability to transform water into land. And did you know New York was Dutch in former days? Come find out in our attraction Nieuw-Amsterdam! Madurodam is very family friendly with two large playgrounds and plenty of fun interactive installations. You will get the full Holland experience in one place and many Instagram worthy picture possibilities. Visit us! We are open 365 days a year and offer information in 11 languages. See you soon in Madurodam.

Escher at the Palace is dedicated to the work of Holland’s most famous graphic artist M.C. Escher. Nearly all his prints are exhibited, among them Belvedere, Drawing Hands, Waterfall and Ascending and Descending. Here you can see how Escher changed fishes into birds, made water flow upstream and his less known, but very attractive early Italian landscapes. On our main- and first floor you can see how his work progressed from depicting the real world to his constructed worlds. Optical illusion is a key word in his work.An optical illusion depicts something which is in fact impossible. M.C. Escher was a master in this field. An optical illusion literally means doing puzzles with your eyes. The visitor will be able to unravel some of Escher’s mysteries like the Impossible Penrose Triangle by constructing one himself. The extra presentation “In the Eye of Escher” shows various themes in which Escher was involved, like reflection, perception and perspective.

The Louwman Museum is home to the world's oldest private collection of motor cars, compiled by two generations of the Louwman family. The museum dates back to 1934 and now comprises over two hundred and fifty antique and classic motor cars. Experts regard the collection as one of the most beautiful in the World. The museum exudes passion. Each car has its own story to tell, its own contribution to history. The motor car is a mirror of culture. The collection is housed in a purpose-built museum in The Hague, the city where P.W. Louwman established his Dodge and Chrysler import company. The building, designed by American architect Michael Graves, blends in sympathetically with its historic surroundings. The landscape gardens, designed by Lodewijk Baljon, complement the architecture of the building.

Located on Prinsegracht 8 in The Hague, the Humanity House is a place to see, hear and experience the human story behind disasters and conflicts, both physically and online. The Humanity House is a museum that lets you experience what it’s like to live through a disaster or conflict and explores related themes in temporary exhibitions. The Humanity House also provides a platform, a place of encounter for people, organisations and agencies that deal with humanitarian themes. Moreover, our education programmes explain global problems to children and young adults. The Humanity House organises these activities with its seven staff members and museum team with eleven employees, and in collaboration with various partners.

Why choose between culture and entertainment, when the outside museum offers both? this part of the hague can be described as ’typically dutch', a painters area, with its characteristic canals. visit the dwelling houses of world famous painters like paulus potter, jan steen and his father in law jan van goyen and see how they lived. or experience the story of van gogh in the hague!

Museum Beelden aan Zee focuses exclusively on contemporary sculpture. The museum was founded in 1994 and now holds nearly one thousand sculptures and several hundreds of medals. This is the only Dutch museum which specializes in exhibiting sculpture. The collection holds work from sculptors as diverse as Armando, Stephan Balkenhol, Iris Le Rütte, Tony Cragg, Per Kirkeby, Giacomo Manzú, Kiki Smith, Igor Mitoraj, Jan Meefout , Berlinde De Bruyckere, Shinkichi Tajiri and Cornelis Zitman.

In the completely renovated school building from 1877 one can learn about the history of the fishing village, the seaside resort and the fascinating forms of life which can be found beneath sea level. the centuries old tradition of the fishing industry as well as the seaside resort life form the image of Scheveningen. The permanent exhibit provides an overview of the fishing industry and daily life in years gone by. A unique collection of paintings, including several by Mesdag, provides a beautiful record of the past. The full size reconstruction (and moving) of the cabin of a fishing boat revives the life onboard. Period rooms show the different lifestyles of various classes: the fisher folk, the middle class and the well-to-do shipping cmpany owners. And, of course, the traditional costume of Scheveningen in on display. Special attention is given to the jewelry worn with the costume. Unique is the exhibit featuring the story of the seaside resort dating from the beginning of the 19th century. The Sea Room takes the visitor into the underwater World. Hundreds of beautifully coloured shells, crabs in many shapes and colours, octopi from the deap sea, millions of years old fossils and many other sea creatures aron on display here. A complete coral reef and its inhabitants also constitutes a part of the presentation. Regularly there are temporarily exhibitions. For more information see our web site.