Louwman Museum

The Louwman Museum is the world's oldest private car collection, begun in 1934 when Pieter Louwman bought a single Dodge and grown by the family across four generations to around 275 vehicles. Since 2010 it has lived in a purpose-built Michael Graves building on the edge of The Hague, opened by Queen Beatrix herself.

The range is unmatched: the world's largest collection of pre-1910 cars, the definitive Spyker collection, the 1913 Bugatti Black Bess raced by aviator Roland Garros, Winston Churchill's car, Elvis Presley's Cadillac, the gloriously absurd 1910 Brooke Swan Car, and the original Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5 with its machine guns and ejector seat. And because the Louwmans were Toyota's Dutch importers, the oldest surviving Toyota in the world sits here too, an unrestored Toyoda AA found in Siberia.

Coaches, motorcycles, trophies and the Gordon Crosby art collection round out one of the great automotive museums of Europe, 15 minutes from central The Hague.

Three floors, arranged to walk you from the dawn of motoring to the modern era, with the collection's storytelling front and centre: every car here earned its place.

Look out for:

• The Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5, one of four built for the film, gadgets and all.

• The 1910 Brooke Swan Car, with electric eyes, an eight tone horn and a beak that sprays steam. It caused actual panic in Calcutta.

• The Spyker collection, the world's best of the pioneering Dutch marque.

• The pre-1910 hall, the largest collection of veteran cars anywhere.

• Bugatti Black Bess (1913), Roland Garros's Type 18.

• Celebrity metal: Winston Churchill's car and Elvis Presley's Cadillac.

• The oldest Toyota on Earth, the unrestored Toyoda AA from Siberia, displayed as found.

• The Gordon Crosby paintings and rooms of posters, trophies and automobilia.

Allow 2 to 3 hours minimum; collectors lose half a day. There is a cafe on site, and guided tours run in Dutch, English, French and German.

• Tickets: €20 adult, €10 ages 5 to 18, under 4 free. Museumkaart, VriendenLoterij VIP-KAART and Ooievaarspas holders enter free.

• Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 17:00. Closed Mondays; holiday periods can vary, check the official site.

• Getting there: on the A44 at the edge of The Hague with a bus stop at the door; easy by car from Amsterdam or Rotterdam. Parking €4.50 per hour, capped at €12.50 per day; coach parking free.

• Guided tours (four languages) cap at 15 people per guide; multilingual group tours need booking two weeks ahead.

• Museumkaart holders: this is one of the best value uses of the card in the Netherlands.

• Cafe on site; exhibits signed in Dutch and English.

• Wheelchair accessible throughout, including parking, restroom and seating.

Last updated: 1 September 2026