about us

collection and exhibitions

With over 200,000 objects from more than 300 owners, we manage the largest regional collection in the Netherlands. Five curators oversee the various subcollections:

• Archaeology & the mound era​
• Old art​
• Applied arts & textiles​
• Fries Verzetsmuseum (& Mata Hari)​
• Modern & Contemporary Art
  
  

A selection from our collection is always on display in our permanent exhibition Ferhaal fan Fryslân on the first floor. You will find the Fries Verzetsmuseum (‘Frisian Resistance Museum’) on the second floor, where personal stories highlight how the Second World War was experienced in the province. In the rooms, we create high-profile, alternating exhibitions on art, archaeology, and fashion and textiles that are attended by visitors from all over the Netherlands. The third floor focuses on the present, with temporary contemporary art presentations. Of course, we also provide space for experimentation and novelty. Together with Arcadia, we host a triennial laboratory that explores future possibilities and are thus a source of inspiration for the region and the world. The room features presentations by partners from the region and we regularly reflect on social developments with stimulating exhibitions. The collection is on permanent display at more than 100 locations, not under our name but of the respective places. Because we unfortunately cannot display everything in the museum, we work continuously on the digital visibility of the collection, with an online database, collection stories, photos, videos, games and online exhibitions.

inclusion and accessibility

The Fries Museum is here for everyone. Whether you are an experienced art connoisseur or have never been to a museum before, Frisian or not, history buff or art connoisseur, young or old: it is our mission to make all our visitors feel at home. At the Fries Museum, you come into contact with other attitudes towards life, customs and times, often with strange and surprising viewpoints. We offer you a special experience, where human stories and perspectives lead to reflection and inspiration. Of course, you can also just come and enjoy our paintings.

The Fries Museum fully subscribes to the Diversity & Inclusion Code, to being open to diversity as a museum, and to operating more inclusively in all areas. We are proud that one in three Frisians have already visited us. Children and young people up to 18 years old can visit the museum free of charge, and with our tailor-made educational programmes, we know exactly how to strike the right chord. Through special activities and collaborations, we continuously lower the threshold to the museum for different groups of people. With in-depth activities, we offer knowledge and content to (mostly Frisian) culture lovers.

Free activities also make the museum accessible to Frisians on a small budget and our collaborations with Refugee Council, Kwadrant Group and the MuseumPlusBus enable us to involve new Frisians and elderly people (also those suffering from dementia). Customised guided tours ensure that the museum is also accessible to people with visual or hearing impairments. There are special programmes around (contemporary) art for creators in the province.

But that is not enough for us: from 2024 the collection will go on tour and the objects will return to their place of origin. We develop online products for people who cannot physically visit the museum. Economically, we contribute through our tourist appeal. Visitors travel to Leeuwarden especially for exhibitions like Lawrence Alma-Tadema and Rembrandt & Saskia and often stay overnight or enjoy a meal. We have welcomed no less than 1.4 million visitors to the new building in ten years!

kolleksjesintrum fryslân

Since 2016, our collection has been stored in the most sustainable museum depot in the Netherlands: the energy-neutral KolleksjeSintrum Fryslân (KSF), which we use together with the Natuurmuseum Fryslân, the Fries Scheepvaartmuseum, the Fries Landbouwmuseum and the provincial national archive Tresoar. As we use about 50% of the depot, the KSF’s coordinator is employed by us. We are responsible for the management of the building, the depot and security; Tresoar takes care of the ICT facilities.

green and sustainable

As the showcase of Fryslân, the most climate-neutral region of the Netherlands, sustainability is a spearhead for us. The museum uses a thermal energy storage system and collectively purchases sustainable energy. The museum has been gas free since 2018. Hot summers and many visitors require additional cooling systems. We are therefore exploring using the generated heat as an energy source for ourselves or others. In 2021, we started an internal project group with experts and Circulair Friesland to investigate how we as a museum can continue to reduce our carbon footprint.

joint organisation

The Fries Museum and Princessehof National Museum of Ceramics form an organisation of two independent and contemporary museums where quality and the public are paramount. The Princessehof uses its world-class collection to tell stories about ceramics from Asia and Europe to art and culture lovers with beautiful exhibitions. Read more about the organisation here.