Museumtuin Centraal Museum

Description

Behind the Centraal Museum and beside the Nicolaïkerk lies a hidden museum garden. Lawn, borders, old walls and contemporary art create a quiet inner space in Utrecht's Museum Quarter, entered through the gate next to the museum café.

History

In the Middle Ages the site served several purposes: it was a burial ground, meeting place and trading area. In 1422 it became part of the Convent of Saint Agnes and functioned as a cloister garden. Later museum buildings and art changed the surroundings, but the enclosed character remained recognisable.

Garden & art

The garden links monumental architecture with seasonal planting and works from the collection. From the lawn, visitors can see several building phases of the museum complex and the nearby church. It is both a pleasant place to pause and a compact lesson in Utrecht's urban history.

Visitor information

The garden is open free of charge Tuesday to Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm, even without a museum ticket.

Did you know?

Over the centuries, the same site successively served as cemetery, marketplace, cloister garden and museum garden.