The ethnographic Wereldmuseum Rotterdam (rotterdam.wereldmuseum.nl; adult/child €18/8; closed Mon) is as great as a cultural attraction can get.
Traipsing around the stately 19th-century Royal Yacht Club building, permanent and temporary exhibitions explore topics such as world culture, identity and immigration through unique and engaging lenses, such as the customs of wedding dresses in different cultures or world peace through exhibits on ecocide, Islamophobia, female diaspora and Palestine. Educational moments are imbued with enjoyment, such as the interactive permanent children's exhibition Superstreet, where little ones touch objects and explore world festivals and dance through multimedia displays.
Since 2023, the Wereldmuseum shares its name ("World Museum") with three other Dutch national museums (Leiden's former Museum Volkenkunde, Berg en Dal's Afrika Museum and the Tropenmuseum in Amsterdam). Each institution maintains its original collection and acts independently, but shares a greater vision of addressing colonialism's legacy in museums and ethnography. In 2024, Rotterdam's Wereldmuseum set a historic precedent through the restitution of colonial-era objects to Indonesia, the first time a Dutch city has done so.
Pre-purchasing tickets online nets a small discount (adult/child €16/6.50).
