Egelantier New Location for Frans Hals Museum

The plans will be further developed and prepared in the coming period.

Why a new location?

The current museum buildings at Groot Heiligland and Grote Markt are too small and not easily accessible. The locations are also not sustainable, and the indoor climate is not good enough for the art. Additionally, there is no separate exhibition space, causing parts of the museum to sometimes close for new exhibitions.

Research into 3 options

Leading up to the decision, 3 scenarios were investigated:

• Keep and renovate both current locations.
• Continue only at Groot Heiligland, with an underground extension.
• Move to the Egelantier.

After extensive research, the choice was made for a full relocation to the Egelantier.

A meeting place for the city

The Egelantier is a special monument with a rich history. It is large, highly visible, and has high, spacious rooms. This makes the building suitable as a museum. Fewer modifications are needed than at the current location, and there is more space around the building for loading and unloading, for example. Thanks to the green entrance, inner garden, and Egelantier garden, the place can grow into a meeting place for the neighborhood and city. During the renovation, the museum can remain largely open. 

Ready for the future

Alderman Diana van Loenen (Culture): I am proud and very happy for our city that the Egelantier will be the new location of the Frans Hals Museum. This ensures that future generations of Haarlem residents and visitors from near and far can continue to enjoy this special museum. 

Lidewij de Koekkoek, director-manager of the Frans Hals Museum, is also very happy with the decision. More than 100 years after the museum moved from the Town Hall to Groot Heiligland in 1913, we are moving to a new building that offers us countless possibilities fitting a 21st-century art museum.

More information

You can find all information on the project page.