Museum Boerhaave

Museum Boerhaave

Museum Boerhaave is a museum of the history of science and medicine located in Leiden, the Netherlands. It is named after Herman Boerhaave (1668–1738), a Dutch botanist, humanist, anatomist, chemist, and physician. The museum houses historical scientific instruments from various branches of science dating from the 16th to the 20th century, but mainly focuses on medical, physical, and astronomical instruments. It also includes a reconstructed traditional anatomy lecture room.

The history of Museum Boerhaave dates back to 1907, when an exhibition on the history of natural sciences and medicine was held in the academic building of Leiden University. The exhibits came from all over the Netherlands and were a huge success, immediately sparking calls for a permanent exhibition on the history of science. The museum is now housed in the former St. Caecilia nunnery and St. Caecilia Hospital in the city center of Leiden, where Herman Boerhaave gave his famous clinical lectures to students from around the world in 1720. After renovation and expansion, the building became the site of Museum Boerhaave in 1991.

Museum Boerhaave currently has 24 indoor exhibition rooms, including the Leiden Anatomical Theatre, the Golden Age, Wonders of Nature, Treasures of the Animal Kingdom, Electricity and Light, and the Anatomical World of Doctor Auzoux… It is one of the world’s most comprehensive museums dedicated to science and medicine.

Museum Boerhaave

Must-visit reason: The best medical museum in the Netherlands

Continent where the attraction is located: Europe【Europe】

Country/region where the attraction is located: Netherlands[Netherlands]

Province/state where the attraction is located: South Holland [South Holland]

City where the attraction is located: Leiden [Leiden]