Van Gijn House

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Welcome to this beautiful historic house in Dordrecht. Discover how a wealthy couple and their staff lived and worked around 1900.

A Household of Distinction
Huis Van Gijn was built in 1729 and is the former residence of the Dordrecht banker Simon van Gijn, who lived there with his wife Cornelia Vriesendorp starting in 1864. As you walk through the rooms, you’ll discover 17th-, 18th-, and 19th-century interiors. You can soak up the atmosphere of days gone by in the cozy garden room and experience the grandeur of a visit to the Salon or a reception in the Hall.

: A Typical Collector’s Home Van Gijn was a great collector. His wide-ranging interests are reflected in the library, the hallways, the stairwell, the study, and the print room. Everything in the museum house has been arranged as closely as possible to the way Van Gijn left his home and collections after his death in 1922.

From the Basement to the Attic
What makes this place unique is that all the rooms are accessible, from the basement to the staff quarters in the attic. Spanning four floors, the tour offers a glimpse not only into the lives of the wealthy middle class of that era, but also into those of the maid and the kitchen maid.

Living with the Seasons
A century ago, people lived much more in tune with the seasons than they do today. This is reflected in the changing seasonal displays throughout the house. Each season is presented slightly differently, both upstairs and downstairs. The museum organizes special seasonal activities during holidays and school breaks. Visit www.huisvangijn.nl for the current schedule.

There’s always something to do at
Visitors receive a guidebook with more information about the various rooms in the house. For children, there’s a fun scavenger hunt sheet with fun facts about daily life back then. One of the oldest toy collections in the Netherlands can be found in the attic, and there’s also a historical dress-up corner. In the museum café, which borders the charming city garden, you can enjoy coffee or tea with a sweet treat or a delicious lunch.