Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen is one of the most talked-about buildings in Europe, and it is just as interesting inside. Designed by MVRDV and opened in 2021 next to the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in the Museumpark, the bowl is clad in mirrored panels that reflect the park and the sky. Inside, instead of a curated museum, you walk through the working storage of one of the great Dutch collections: racks of paintings by old masters and modern artists, cabinets of design and applied art, sculpture and photography, all arranged by climate zone rather than by period. Criss-crossing glass staircases and lifts make the atrium feel like a cabinet of curiosities, and through windows you can watch restorers and registrars at work. Because the main museum building next door is closed for a long renovation, the Depot is currently the best way to see its treasures. Tickets are not sold on Tiqets, so this page links to the official Depot page.
How to visit: the Depot is at Museumpark 24 and is open Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00 to 17:00, closed on Mondays. All tickets are sold online only and come with a time slot, so book before you go; you must enter within your slot, but once inside you can stay as long as you like. From 9 October 2026 to 29 March 2027 a small surcharge applies for the Marisol exhibition, with exemptions for young people up to eighteen and some local passes. The Museumpark is a short walk from the Witte de Withstraat and about fifteen minutes on foot from Rotterdam Centraal.
What to expect: the building is very transparent, with glass banisters, balustrades and lifts, and the museum itself advises visitors with vertigo to read up before they come. There are low points where you need to mind your head. Exhibitions in the atrium change through the year, and guided tours can be booked for groups. On the roof, a small birch forest surrounds the café-restaurant Renilde, open for coffee and lunch from Tuesday to Sunday and for dinner later in the week, and the views over the Museumpark and the skyline are excellent.
Making the most of it: book a morning slot on a weekday, start at the top and work down, and allow time on the roof. Combine it with the Kunsthal and the Het Nieuwe Instituut in the same park for a full architecture and design day, or walk on to the Euromast.
What to expect
The experience
A self-guided visit through open storage halls, exhibition spaces and a glass atrium, finishing on a rooftop with a birch forest and a café-restaurant.
Best time
A weekday morning slot soon after the 11:00 opening, when the atrium and the storage corridors are calmest.
How long
About two hours, plus time on the roof for coffee or lunch at Renilde.
Tips
Book a timed ticket online in advance, note the Monday closure, and read up first if you are uneasy with heights and glass floors.
Quick picks
- Best for
- Art and architecture lovers who want to see something no other city offers: a whole museum collection on open view.
- Families
- Older children enjoy peering into the storage racks and riding the glass lifts, though the transparent heights can unsettle younger ones.
- Couples
- Take a late morning slot, explore the collection and finish with lunch among the birch trees on the roof.
- Pair with
- The Kunsthal in the same Museumpark, and the Euromast a short walk away along the Westzeedijk.
- Time needed
- Two to three hours including the roof.
Good questions
Do I need to book Depot Boijmans in advance?+
Yes, all tickets are sold online only and include a time slot. Without a time slot you cannot enter, although you may stay as long as you like once inside.
When is Depot Boijmans open?+
The Depot is open Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00 to 17:00 and closed on Mondays. Check the museum website for irregular opening days around holidays.
Is the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen open?+
The main museum building next to the Depot is closed for a long renovation. Its collection can be seen in the Depot in the meantime.
Is there a restaurant at Depot Boijmans?+
Yes, the café-restaurant Renilde sits on the roof among the birch trees. It serves coffee and lunch from Tuesday to Sunday and dinner on some evenings.
Is Depot Boijmans suitable for people with vertigo?+
The building has glass banisters, balustrades and lifts, and the museum advises visitors with vertigo to prepare in advance. Lifts make every level reachable without the open staircases.
