Current & upcoming exhibitions in The Hague’s museums (2025)
- maxwell museums
- Dec 8, 2024
- 7 min read
Updated: 20 hours ago
The Hague is one of Europe's most unsung cities for museum lovers, art fans and history seekers. It's definitely not a city all about bureaucracy and government as many people assume.
From global masterpieces like Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring at the Mauritshuis, to the cutting-edge modern art collections at the Kunstmuseum, the city offers an extraordinary range of exhibitions year-round.
And I know this well. I'm updating this guide in July 2025 soon after returning from my third trip to the city. I've seen first hand the world-class exhibitions the Hague can host.
Whether you’re hunting for iconic artworks or contemporary photography, this guide will help you navigate what’s on right now and what’s coming soon. Updated regularly, it’s your go-to for planning a cultural visit to the Netherland's third-biggest city, but one of its highest-quality museum destinations.
Exhibitions on now in The Hague (2025)
What’s on in The Hague right now? A lot, actually — and not just the usual suspects. This is your cheat sheet to the best current exhibitions in The Hague’s museums.
Grand Dessert: The history of the dessert
On view at the Kunstmuseum Den Haag until 26 October 2025, in the Grand Dessert: The history of the dessert visitors with a sweet tooth can dive into the delicious world of pudding. The exhibition’s guest curator is Janny van der Heijden, host of the Dutch version of the Great British Bake Off. Items on show range from baking tins to recipe books, from dinner services to cutlery, and from ice cream moulds to menus. And Tom Friedman's sugar cube sculpture is a highlight.
Ryan Gander x Edgar Degas: Pas de Deux
The Museum Beelden aan Zee is hosting one of the world’s most-loved sculptures in this meaningful but amusing exhibition. Degas’ iconic sculpture La Petite Danseuse de Quatorze Ans — or The Little Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer — is one of the most recognizable sculptures of modern art. Here in Ryan Gander x Edgar Degas (on show until 4 January 2026) it's seen with over 20 other ballerina sculptures, all created by the British artist Ryan Gander. Instead of the 19th century’s air of poise, Gander places his teenage dancer in unexpected or everyday situations — one is even smoking. And often, she's paired with an ultramarine blue cube to add a splash of colour. It's the first time ever more than one of Gander's ballerinas have been displayed together. Explore Gander's modern twist on Degas in my interview with the exhibition's curator.
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All They Had: Jacoba van Heemskerck x Marie Tak van Poortvliet
This joint-headline show at the Kunstmuseum Den Haag running until 01 March 2026 highlights the work of two remarkable women, both pioneers of modern art. Van Poortvliet and van Heemskerck first met in The Hague at a young age, and would later begin a life-long romantic relationship. Touching on issues ranging from feminism and queer identity to sustainability and mental health, the works in All They Had tell a story that remains relevant today. There's paintings, drawings and stained-glass works alongside art by their circle including Piet Mondrian, Wassily Kandinsky and Franz Marc.
Scarlett Hooft Graafland. Mesmerizing
Scarlett Hooft Graafland studied in the Hague, and now she brings her enchanting photographs to the Museum Panorama Mesdag, one of the city's quirkiest museums. Mesmerizing — which can be visited until 31 August 2025 — shows the magical landscapes in the most remote places in the world. See stunning shots from Iceland to Madagascar and from Bolivia to Turkey, in what is the first ever museum retrospective of the artist.
Upcoming exhibitions in The Hague
If you're planning a cultural visit to The Hague at a later date, below you'll find a curated guide to the most exciting upcoming exhibitions in the city in 2025, including major art shows. Here's what I think you should look forward to.
The Grand Tour: Destination Italy
Masterpieces from three of the UK’s most esteemed stately homes will travel to the Mauritshuis for this exhibition of a very British historical travel trend. From 18 September 2025, visitors will be able to discover how — and why — young British aristocrats finished their education by spending years travelling through continental Europe. En route, they'd learn about art, architecture and culture, and collect artworks for their homes back in England. Many of those collected artworks will feature here, with the Grand Tour exhibition displaying loans from Holkham Hall, Woburn Abbey and Burghley House.
Anne Desmet: Building without Barriers
Escher in The Palace is hosting British printmaker Anne Desmet who creates razor-sharp prints playing with perspective and architecture. It's a natural fit therefore to display them alongside the great M.C. Escher and his so-called impossible constructions. Anne Desmet: Building without Barriers opens 20 November 2025 and is the first time Desmet has been exhibited in the Netherlands. Around forty of her prints will be seen, alongside a selection of sketchbooks, woodblocks and tools.
GEN 3.0 — The third generation speaks out
Exactly eighty years after the end of the Second World War, which also marked the end of the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies, the Fotomuseum Den Haag will bring together (from 11 October 2025) contemporary image makers who reflect on the enduring impact of colonialism in the East. GEN 3.0 will draw on personal experience, to investigate how colonial legacies continue to influence their identity, family ties and position in society. Through photographs, videos, works from the museum’s collection and archival documents, they tell stories that have remained undiscussed until now.
— Want to explore beyond The Hague? See all the best exhibitions across the Netherlands
Best museums in The Hague
Don't worry if planning means you're not sure if you'll be in the Hague for these temporary exhibitions. The Hagues's museums are some of Netherlands’ most impressive permanent sights and collections, so there's always something to see. Here are the museums that can be enjoyed year-round — and are some of my favourites.
The Mauritshuis
A miniature Dutch palace sitting on a vast lake in the heart of the Hague, the Mauritshuis museum is stunning before you even step inside. But once through the doors, it offers an even bigger wow factor. After an absolutely massive £24 million refurbishment in 2014, it's now a world-class museum fit for the 21st century. While Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring is the big draw, there are plenty of other Dutch masterpieces among its 250-strong art collection, including Rembrandt’s The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp and Carel Fabritius’s The Goldfinch.
Kunstmuseum Den Haag
The quirky and incredibly vast palace to twentieth century icons that is the is the Kunstmuseum is a must-visit for art-lovers. This huge art deco gallery is a short tram ride from the city centre, but once inside, every new gallery or turn of a corner reveals artworks by absolute masters. There's Monet, Picasso, Kandinsky, Sol Lewitt, Francis Bacon, Louise Bourgeois, Yayoi Kusama, Egon Schiele, Bridget Riley, Nam June Paik, Ann Veronica Janssens, plus many, many more. Just get lost in it all.
National Monument Oranjehotel
Stark, sombre and very moving, the Oranjehotel was a prison during World War II and is now a Dutch National Monument. Between 1940 and 1945, over 25,000 people were imprisoned here for interrogations and trials, locked up for actions the German occupiers considered crimes. The museum and exhibition spaces here now — including a single cell preserved just as it was in the 1940s — are a tribute to the resistance fighters who were imprisoned here by the Nazis.
Tips for visiting The Hague’s museums and exhibitions in 2025
1. Book tickets online in advance
To avoid long queues and guarantee entry, purchase tickets online before your visit. This is especially true for the Mauritshuis which gets a lot of tour groups and can get crowded. Buying your Mauritshuis tickets ahead ensures you're guaranteed entry including during peak times.
2. Visit midweek to avoid crowds
Plan your visit between Tuesday and Thursday for a quieter experience. The Mauritshuis tends to be less crowded in the afternoons, especially after 15:00 and on Thursday evenings.
3. Use the Museum Pass for savings
Consider the Museumkaart pass, which grants access to over 500 museums across the Netherlands, including many in The Hague. It costs €75 per year for adults and €39 for young people under 18 and children.
4. Visit after-hours with Museum Night
Mark your calendar for Museum Night The Hague 2025 on 11 October, when 33 museums open their doors until 01:00 with special exhibitions and events. This offers a unique cultural experience not to be missed.
5. Check for renovations and temporary closures
Before planning your visit, verify if any museums are closed for renovations. For example, the Haags Historisch Museum is scheduled for refurbishment from late 2024 to spring 2027, so plan accordingly.
6. Combine museums with nearby attractions
Some museums are by other Hague landmarks or city destinations. The Mauritshuis for example is next to the Binnenhof parlianment building and the Hofvijver lake, while Museum Beelden aan Zee is seconds from the beach. Combining visits makes for an efficient cultural itinerary!
7. Use the Hague's public transport to save time
The Hague’s tram and bus network is fantastic, and is really convenient for reaching museums. Tram lines 1, 9, and 17 provide easy access to key cultural sites, and let's you explore the city along the way.
8. Explore lesser-known museums
Don’t miss smaller gems like the Museum Meermanno, which is the oldest book museum in the world, or the Louwman Museum, famous for its historic car collection. These offer unique insights beyond the major museums.
Where to stay near The Hague’s museums
The Hague has a wide range of hotels, but if you're planning a culture-focused trip, you'll likely want to be within walking distance of the city’s top museum the Mauritshuis, and then short tram rides to other cultural venues. Here's two hand-picked hotels I've stayed in myself on my travels.
Townhouse Hotel Den Haag | 6 minutes walk from The Mauritshuis
Clean, compact and cosy-chic, this hotel is perfect city-break accommodation. Townhouse is on a quiet cobbled street that's also within walking distance of the train station. It feels boutique and won't break the bank.
voco The Hague | 7 minutes walk from The Mauritshuis
A 1920s former bank building is now home to the warm and stylish voco The Hague. Its location is perfect — just a few minutes walk to the Mauritshuis and a tram stop right outside takes you to both Scheveningen and to the nearby city of Delft.
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