Are you interested in what to see at the Kröller-Müller Museum?
Then you’re in the right place. In this article, I’ll explore what to see and do at and around the Kröller-Müller Museum.
Do you want to know how to get there? Then please visit my other article about how to get to the Kröller-Müller Museum, which can be a little tricky. But doable!
I’ve been to the Kröller-Müller Museum before in my life, but my last visit has been a while. Since I am creating all this Van Gogh content, it is time to visit again and see the 2nd largest collection of Van Gogh paintings with a fresh perspective. So I did, and this article is the result from my recent visit to the Museum.
Why visit the Kröller-Müller Museum in the first place?
Because the Kröller-Müller Museum is one of the top museums in the Netherlands. If you’re interested in works by Vincent van Gogh, modern art, and or sculptures, it’s a fantastic day trip from Amsterdam. The Kröller-Müller Museum has a world-renowned collection of mainly 19th and 20th-century visual art.
The main reason is that it’s home to one of the largest Van Gogh collections in the world, the second-largest, to be precise. In terms of numbers, that means over 180 drawings and almost 90 paintings by Vincent van Gogh. That is a lot!
The other reason is the extensive sculpture garden that attracts many visitors, which is the largest in Europe.
The Museum is located in a National Park called the Hoge Veluwe. Which does require a separate entrance fee, but more about that later.
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Kröller-Müller Museum History
Helene Kröller-Müller founded the Kröller-Müller Museum in the early 20th century to showcase her – now world-renowned – collection of mainly 19th and 20th-century artworks.
She came from a wealthy background, and Helene decided to use her resources to build a private collection. And not just any collection: she could collect the world’s second-largest collection of Van Gogh paintings. But also masterpieces by modern artists like Piet Mondriaan, Picasso, and Monet.
It also features a sculpture garden set within the park, which is also quite famous today.
She believed the Hoge Veluwe National Park was the perfect location for her museum, blending art and nature. The museum at the national park opened in 1938 on her and her husband’s former estate.
The Kröller-Müller Museum is a harmonious blend of art, nature, and the vision of a woman who believed in the transformative power of both.
Paintings at the Kröller-Müller Museum
Before we get to Van Gogh’s unique collection, I would like to highlight other paintings at this museum.
The Kröller-Müller Museum has a vast collection of modern paintings from the mid-19th to mid-20th century, including notable pieces by Impressionists like Renoir, Claude Monet, Georges Seurat, and Pablo Picasso.
Besides being great masters by themselves, their paintings also provide a unique insight into Van Gogh’s professional growth during his time in France. The impressionist style greatly influenced him.
Before, when he was still in the Netherlands, Vincent would paint in earthy dark colors and peasant life. While in France, under the influence of the impressionist movement, he used much more color in his work. The works of him we know him most for today.
Van Gogh Paintings
In the heart of the museum, you’ll find the 2nd largest collection of paintings by Van Gogh in the world.
Viewing these alongside his contemporaries offers insight into his evolving style and the progression of modern art. For me, modern art often feels inaccessible. But Van Gogh is one of those artists that make it accessible for me.
If you’re a Van Gogh fan, getting out here is worth the trouble. With the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam (tips), you can see the most Van Gogh paintings in the world in one trip.
It's not that crazy to incluse a trip to Paris from Amsterdam
I have to highlight that despite it sounding far away, combining your Amsterdam/Kröller-Müller Museum trip with a extra day or overnight trip to Paris is not that far-fetched.
In Paris, you can see the 3rd largest collection of Vincent's paintings, at the Musee d'Orsay (information and tickets).
With Thalys high-speed rail services you can get to Paris in under three hours from Amsterdam.
A ticket for the Thalys high-speed train to Paris can be booked here. I advise first-class tickets for a bit more comfort along the way, with wider seats and better service. It's not that much more money.
His paintings are primarily grouped in chronological order in the Van Gogh Museum. Making it easy to follow him and his career throughout his life (they even have his last painting there, The Roots.)
At the Kröller-Müller Museum, they’re doing it a little bit differently. Here, they group paintings more by topic. Another exciting way of seeing his development, especially when you see multiple paintings of the same topic next to each other but in very different styles.
Read more: Van Gogh in Nuenen (Netherlands)
Famous Van Gogh paintings you’ll find at the museum are:
- A 2nd version of the ‘Potato Eaters’
- The Sower
- Café Terrace at Night (my favorite)
- Portrait of Joseph Roulin
- Moulin de la Galette
- Four Sunflowers Gone to Seed
- Bridge at Arles
Sculpture Garden
Personally, sculptures are not exactly my thing. I appreciate paintings much more. It’s not my forte. If it is not yours either, don’t worry, you don’t have to like it. There is enough to see without it.
But if you are a fan, you’re in for a treat. There are a lot of famous names in this garden, spanning over 75 acres and nestled within the national park. It is the largest in Europe. More than 160 sculptures by iconic artists can be found here.
It’s a testament to Helene Kröller-Müller‘s vision of blending in art, architecture, and nature.
The garden showcases a diverse collection of modern and contemporary sculptures, featuring works by artists such as Auguste Rodin, Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore, Jean Dubuffet, and Marta Pan.
Additionally, architecture enthusiasts can admire the garden’s museum buildings designed by Henry van de Velde and Wim Quist and pavilions by Gerrit Rietveld and Aldo van Eyck.
Restaurants
There are two restaurants at the Kröller-Müller Museum itself.
Museum Restaurant Monsieur Jacques is the main museum restaurant. Located inside the museum.
This restaurant provides a variety of warm and cold beverages, sandwiches, soups, and homemade sweets. The spacious and well-lit space offers a beautiful view of the garden. The restaurant operates during the museum’s opening hours but closes at 4:30 p.m.
Buitenrestaurant MJ is an outside restaurant amidst the art in the sculpture garden. The menu emphasizes fair and sustainable products. No prior reservations are required. Like Monsieur Jacques, it also closes at 4:30 p.m. and follows the museum’s opening hours.
Outside the museum, but still inside the national park, there are different places for refreshments.
Near the museum, you’ll find the Park Pavilion restaurant in the central area that offers an extensive menu, just like the restaurant Monsieur Jacques inside the museum.
Jachthuis Sint Hubertus Park Hoge Veluwe
But there is more; you can also go to the tea dome for refreshments (no meals) near the Jachthuis Sint Hubertus, a former hunting house and one of the most iconic buildings in the Netherlands. Berlage, the same architect who designed the stock exchange building (De Beurs) in Amsterdam, designed it.
This is a little further away from the central area, like the museum. It’s not within walking distance. But it will take only 15-20 minutes by one of the free white bikes you can take (they’re included in your entrance fee).
If you want to visit the house, booking a tour of the Jachthuis Sint Hubertus is necessary.
If you can’t visit the building in person, you can still book a virtual tour of the Jachthuis Sint Hubertus.
PS: I’m unaffiliated with them. But I like their products. They offer virtual tours of other iconic buildings in the Netherlands, so you might want to browse around a bit.
Other Things to Do
There is more to do at the “De Hoge Veluwe National Park in Otterlo” besides visiting the Kröller-Müller indoor museum with its Van Gogh collection, the sculpture garden, Jachthuis Sint Hubertus, and different restaurants.
There is also a visitor center to learn more about the park, the free Museonder Museum about life below ground, and bicycle trails to see more of the park, which you can experience with a complimentary white bicycle available everywhere. Or you can rent a more comfortable one from the bike rental across the visitor center.
Getting there might be trouble, but when you do, and the weather plays nicely, you can have a wonderful day in the park.
How Much Time to Spend Here
At minimum, I advise you to spend 90 minutes to 2 hours to see the museum’s highlights. If you have a deeper interest and the museum is all you’re coming for, I would advise a minimum stay of 2-3 hours. Since you also have a travel time of 2-3 hours roundtrip, plan 6 hours, 4-5 if you go for the highlights only.
If you’re also interested in the National Park, you can easily spend 6 hours in the area or even a little more. So, just in case, reserve this day for this day trip and plan nothing else.
How to Get There?
I wrote a complete article on that specific question since there are four different ways of getting there: by public transportation (not great options on Sunday), by rental car, by tour bus, or with a private driver.
In my article [How to get to the KM Museum], I’ll go over each option in depth, making choosing your preferred way of travel super easy.
Some people say it’s challenging to reach the Museum from Amsterdam by public transport. But if you know how, it’s not that difficult.
What is good to know is that the museum is usually closed on Mondays (school holidays exceptions). And if you travel by public transportation, Sundays are not a good day since options are limited, and travel time increases.
Hotels Near Kröller-Müller Museum
I don’t blame you if you’re considering spending some time in nature and staying overnight. But this is a very camping-rich area. Luxury hotels are harder to find.
With one exception: Boutique Hotel de Sterrenberg in Otterlo in the Netherlands, a stone through away from the park entrance. From here, you can take the 106 bus to the Kröller-Müller Museum. Or take one of the free white bikes and cycle there within 15 minutes.
The hotel has near-perfect ratings, is adult-only, and is super modern.
Tickets
It’s straightforward to pay for your trip if you plan to travel by public transportation with the introduction of OVpay. You tap in and out with your contactless debit or credit card for every leg of your trip. More instructions are in my article “How to get to the Kröller-Müller Museum from Amsterdam.”
Every visitor to the museum also needs an entrance ticket to the National Park. You can buy yours here.
And of course, you need a ticket to the Museum, which you can buy here.
Note: If you take a guided tour, tickets to the park and the museum are already included.
More Helpful Resources
Are you interested in the life of Van Gogh I’m sure you’ll also like some of my other articles on Vincent and his life:
- Vincent van Gogh in Drenthe
- Vincent van Gogh in Nuenen, where he painted the potato eaters.
- Vincent van Gogh Museum Amsterdam Tips.
- Vincent van Gogh Museum Special exhibitions.
- Rijksmuseum Amsterdam Tips.
PS: Did you know there is a self-portrait of Vincent at the Rijksmuseum?
And did you also know Vincent van Gogh visited the Rijksmuseum himself just after it opened? Incredible idea, right?
You can stand in the same spot as he stood admiring Rembrandt’s paintings (which he adored; his favorite painting was The Jewish Bride), and other 17th-century masters.
What are you most excited about the see at the Kröller-Müller Museum?
I’d love to hear your thoughts: Are you visiting for the Van Gogh paintings, the sculpture garden, something else, or all of it? I'm excited to know. Share your thoughts in the comments below, and let’s start a conversation 💬.
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