Wereldmuseum Leiden

What do people celebrate on Día de Muertos? What hidden messages can be found in clothing? Why do people in Japan look forward to the annual bloom of the cherry blossoms every year? Wereldmuseum Leiden presents stories of celebration, mourning, decoration, prayer, love and struggle from all over the world.

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
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
Enchanted by GOLD
Enchanted by GOLD

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

until 26 October

A museum about people

Did you know that Wereldmuseum Leiden is one of the oldest ethnographic museums in the world? A walk through the museum broadens your view of the world. Learn about life all around the world and how people are and have been shaped by the world around them. This connection between past and present offers new insights into today's world.

Explore the habitat of the original inhabitants of North America. Marvel at the Comanche's headdress, the Sioux's axe and the Navajo's exquisite jewellery.
Oceania is made up of over 20,000 islands. The area is home to around 1,800 languages and just as many cultures. Step into the world of Oceania and learn more about its inhabitants.
This gallery explores how people in West, Central and South Asia practice religion. They often form a connection to places or objects, such as a river, books, icons and sculptures.