Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem

Beautiful museum that I visited during ‘Museum in Bloom’ exhibition. You can admire here various paintings from the Dutch Golden Age era as well as furniture, ceramics, glass and silver. The art and interior was looking amazing with live flowers arranged through the whole museum. Children really enjoyed watching the Doll House. The patio is very beautiful with many benches and tables. Also the cafe is a great addition (the terrace is a reall hidden gem, especially when it’s sunny). I’d not recommend visiting it with little children (up to 3-4 year old) as I was asked to hold my little one by hand at all times. It was fine, but not really easy or handy.

Great deep dive in Frans Hals. Was pleasantly surprised that while he's the feature, there's lots of space devoted to his contemporaries and even a few modern artists as well. The galleries are well laid out and spacious. The historic building itself is very an apt setting. I'm sure the courtyard must be beautiful in the summer months.

Really enjoyed this experience. Laid back great lighting and the explanations are perfect. I liked that the listening device was included in the entrance. Oh and the mirrored floor room is brilliant!

First we were a bit shocked by the huge entry cost of 16€. But with the 15min Film and very good audioguide the museum is it worth. Paintings and also the building itself are well described. It was a poor children home. Some Breugel and other dutch painters can be seen. We spend 2,5 hours. Very nice is also the inner yard. In summer is there a cafe.

Lovely old building, nothing grand! Pretty inner courtyard and garden. Hals is placed in historical/artistic context in first rooms. Some comparisons to modern works seem more followable than others... Big room full of Hals's group paintings and after his last paintings, those of the women and men (separate) who ran the old people's home that the building once was! Very enthusiastic mini-tour about the building's history by a talented young female guide. She took us back to look at some details of paintings we'd have missed otherwise... Thanks! Apparently Hals's later work was a big influence on the impressionists. Speedy approximate brushstrokes capturing character and movement... Only grumble that the staff selling entrance tickets are also manning the souvenir shop. We had to wait ages while some customer bought endless stamps for all his postcards. Is this a village shop or a modern museum in a major Dutch city?