De Westfries, Historical museum building in Hoorn, Netherlands
De Westfries is a 1632 building that originally housed the regional governing council and now functions as a museum in Hoorn. Its distinctive stepped facade displays painted coats of arms, and the interior contains around 25 exhibition rooms filled with diverse collections.
The building was constructed in 1632 as the governing seat for West Friesland and the Northern Quarter, serving this administrative purpose for centuries. It transitioned to museum use in the early 20th century and has maintained this function ever since.
The museum occupies a building that served as the seat of regional power for West Friesland, making the collection feel intertwined with the place's governance and trade history. Visitors encounter paintings, silver, and porcelain amid rooms where important decisions were once made, creating a natural sense of how daily life and authority coexisted.
The main building is closed for renovations until around mid-2025, with temporary exhibitions moved to the Statenpoort on Nieuwstraat while work continues. Visitors interested in the collection can explore these temporary spaces to view works during the reconstruction period.
Medieval cellars from the 15th century lie beneath the structure, discovered through archaeological excavation in 1953 and now used as specialized exhibition spaces. These underground rooms allow visitors to explore actual structures from five centuries before the main building was constructed.
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