MUSEUM THE LEIDEN WEAVER’S HOUSE

Museum Het Leids Wevershuis (Museum The Leiden Weaver’s house) is housed in a historic municipal monument. Here you can get to know the poor side of Leiden from the past four centuries. This poor, unknown side of Leiden contrasted sharply with the district of the rich where the famous monuments are located, such as the Rapenburg area.

The plot where the house situated, has been inhabited since the Middle Ages. The polder ditch, which would later be called Middelstegracht (Middle Canal), became part of the city around 1350, when the city boundary was shifted from the Hooigracht to the current Herengracht. In the following century, soon houses were built along the canal. This was partly due to the flourishing of the medieval cloth at that time. This attracted many people to the city. Initially, the buildings consisted of wooden houses with straw roofs. A hundred years later, building with stone became common, and many existing houses were quickly renovated with stone walls and ‘hard’ roofs.

A linen weaver, Cornelis Janszoon, already lived on the site of the present house in 1561.

It is not entirely clear to what extent the house from before 1600 corresponded to the present one. The width of the facade was the same as that of the present building, according to a measurement of 1586. But the facade, the roof construction and the tiles on the floors under the planks in the front and back rooms strongly indicate new construction in the seventeenth century.

However, it is clear that the construction of the house as it is, goes back to the years 1626-1631.

During opening hours, the antique loom (1830) is nearly always in operation. Exhibitions are held all year round. The shop offers a small collection of handmade products for sale.

More information about the history of the building can be found in the brochure ‘Such a small house – so many lives. The history of Middelstegracht 143 in Leiden’.

The brochure is for sale in the museum.

Opening hours

Daily 1.00 p.m. – 4.00 p.m. – Closed on Mondays.

Free entrance. A personal contribution in one of the money boxes is highly appreciated.

Contact details

You can find the contact details in the footer of this website. 

How to get there?

By public transport from station Leiden Centraal

The buses leave on the center side of Leiden CS.

  • Take bus 6 direction Leiderdorp. This bus stops almost in front of the museum.
  • Get off the bus at the stop Hooigracht-Ir. Driessenstraat.
  • Walk 20 meters to the left. There you find the Middelstegracht.
  • The museum is on the other side of the road that is called the ‘Ir. Driessenstraat’.
  • You will find the Weaver’s House after 25 meters on your right hand.

There are more buses, but then you have to walk longer. More information on www.9292.nl.

By public transport from station Leiden Lammenschans

We do not recommend this. It is more convenient to take the train to station Leiden Centraal (see above).

By car

By car you can reach the museum from highway A4.

  • Take the motorway exit Leiden/Voorschoten
  • Follow the signs Leiden Centrum
  • Follow the signs ‘Parkeergarage Haarlemmerstraat’ (parking)
  • The entrance of the parking is diagonally across the museum on the Middelstegracht

Or plan your route on Google Maps: Middelstegracht 143, Leiden