Pieter Teyler House
The birthplace of Teylers Museum
This unique historic building was the home of Pieter Teyler (1702-1778), the founding father of the Netherlands’ oldest museum, and the birthplace of Teylers Museum. Our aim is to be true to Pieter Teyler's Enlightenment ideals and to show the continuing relevance of these ideals to our own times.
Teyler's ideas
Teyler believed that every person had the right to strive for freedom and happiness and that this would make the world a better place. Truth is only found by thinking for yourself, he thought. In Pieter Teylers House you can see the relevance of his ideals and how they led to the creation of Teylers Museum. Some rooms in this unique national monument are among the best preserved historic interiors in the Netherlands from the 18th century.
The Pieter Teyler House.
Birthplace of Teylers Museum
Pieter Teyler was a wealthy Haarlem resident who left his fortune and house to a foundation set up with the express purpose of improving the lives of all. One of the results of this bequest was Teylers Museum, which opened in 1784, consisting at that time only of the Oval Room. Through the long and impressive marble corridor of the Teyler residence, visitors entered the Oval Room and marvelled at the latest scientific inventions and contemporary artworks. The museum welcomed famous guests such as Napoleon and Tsar Alexander – and much later Albert Einstein. The house is intimately connected to the museum, in terms of both physical structure and essence.
Visit Pieter Teylers House
A visit to Pieter Teylers House (ground floor and first floor) is included in the entrance ticket to Teylers Museum. Guided tours and group visits are possible by appointment.
