Wereldmuseum Leiden

What is celebrated on Día de Muertos? What hidden messages are contained in clothing? And why do people in Japan look so forward to the annual blooming of the cherry blossoms? At Wereldmuseum Leiden, discover stories from around the world about celebration, mourning, decoration, prayer, love and struggle.

Exhibition Hanuman travels across the globe
Exhibition Hanuman travels across the globe

The exhibition Hanuman travels the world can be found in the gallery of the Asia hall o...

until 31 August 2026
Enchanted by GOLD
Enchanted by GOLD

Wereldmuseum Leiden will celebrate the premiere of its new exhibition in December; Ench...

until 26 October
Exhibition: Mapuche - A community on the move
Exhibition: Mapuche - A community on the move

The Mapuche are the original inhabitants of the area now covered by the states of Chile...

until 20 July
Museum Night, Leiden
Museum Night, Leiden

During the seventeenth edition of Leiden's museum night, eleven museums and cultural in...

Saturday 14 June
Exhibition Hanuman travels across the globe
Exhibition Hanuman travels across the globe

The exhibition Hanuman travels the world can be found in the gallery of the Asia hall o...

until 31 August 2026
Enchanted by GOLD
Enchanted by GOLD

Wereldmuseum Leiden will celebrate the premiere of its new exhibition in December; Ench...

until 26 October
Exhibition: Mapuche - A community on the move
Exhibition: Mapuche - A community on the move

The Mapuche are the original inhabitants of the area now covered by the states of Chile...

until 20 July
Museum Night, Leiden
Museum Night, Leiden

During the seventeenth edition of Leiden's museum night, eleven museums and cultural in...

Saturday 14 June
Exhibition Hanuman travels across the globe
Exhibition Hanuman travels across the globe

The exhibition Hanuman travels the world can be found in the gallery of the Asia hall o...

until 31 August 2026
Enchanted by GOLD
Enchanted by GOLD

Wereldmuseum Leiden will celebrate the premiere of its new exhibition in December; Ench...

until 26 October
Exhibition: Mapuche - A community on the move
Exhibition: Mapuche - A community on the move

The Mapuche are the original inhabitants of the area now covered by the states of Chile...

until 20 July
Museum Night, Leiden
Museum Night, Leiden

During the seventeenth edition of Leiden's museum night, eleven museums and cultural in...

Saturday 14 June
Exhibition Hanuman travels across the globe
Exhibition Hanuman travels across the globe

The exhibition Hanuman travels the world can be found in the gallery of the Asia hall o...

until 31 August 2026
Enchanted by GOLD
Enchanted by GOLD

Wereldmuseum Leiden will celebrate the premiere of its new exhibition in December; Ench...

until 26 October
Exhibition: Mapuche - A community on the move
Exhibition: Mapuche - A community on the move

The Mapuche are the original inhabitants of the area now covered by the states of Chile...

until 20 July
Museum Night, Leiden
Museum Night, Leiden

During the seventeenth edition of Leiden's museum night, eleven museums and cultural in...

Saturday 14 June

A museum about people

Did you know that the Wereldmuseum Leiden is one of the oldest ethnographic museums in the world? A walk through the museum opens your view of the world. You will learn how people around the world live and how they are shaped by the world around them - then and now. Through this connection between past and present, you'll gain new insights into today's world.

Step into the habitat of the original inhabitants of North America. Marvel at the Comanche's headdress, the Sioux's axe and the Navajo's exquisite jewelry.
Oceania consists of more than 20,000 islands. As many as 1,800 languages are spoken and the area has just as many cultures. Step into the world of Oceania and learn more about its inhabitants.
This room explores how people in West, Central and South Asia practice religion. They often do this through connection to places or objects, such as a river, books, icons and statues.