Museon, Hague

Museon, located in The Hague, is a dynamic museum dedicated to science and culture with a strong educational focus. Established initially in 1904 by Frits van Paasschen, a newspaper director with a vision for an industry-focused educational museum, it has evolved significantly over the years. The museum's first director, geologist Herman van Cappelle, shifted its collection policy towards natural history and ethnology, while retaining the foundational educational mission.

From its inception, Museon has been at the forefront of educational outreach, offering lessons for school classes based on its collections and pioneering the use of educational films in the Netherlands as early as 1910. This innovation led to the creation of the country's first school cinema.

Originally a private institution named the ‘Museum for Education,’ Museon was taken over by the municipality of The Hague in 1920. The museum's collection continued to grow, notably with a contribution from biologist Niko Tinbergen in 1933, who provided Inuit objects from Greenland. After several relocations, Museon settled in its current building in 1985, designed by architect WG Quist.

Museon's merger in 2022 with the nearby Omniversum cinema led to its current designation as Museon-Omniversum: One Planet. The museum boasts a vast collection spanning geology, biology, archaeology, history, science, and ethnology, totaling approximately 273,000 objects. Its exhibitions and programs are diverse, covering topics like the environment, geography, and cultural identity.

With a large proportion of its visitors being school children, Museon continues to fulfill its mission of imparting knowledge about humanity's relationship with nature and culture and providing accessible information on current scientific and societal developments.