The museum of big questions
We are living in an era that begs new questions. In the Groote Museum, you'll discover where we came from, how we’re connected, and what other things we depend on. From these insights about yourself and your ties to other life, it's a short step to the question “Where are we headed?” But it all starts with you.
What are you?
The Groote Museum takes you on a personal expedition, with your body as the starting point. It holds up a mirror that keeps revealing more. Similarities with plants, with other animals, and even with microbes. It's incredible how many links there are to discover! For example, did you know your intestines do the same thing that tree roots do? Or that when you crawled on the ground as an infant, you moved just like a crocodile? Seeing these parallels gives you a whole new perspective on yourself and the world around you. You realize how intertwined you are with all living things, down to the smallest fiber of your being. And that you’re much more dependent than you ever realized.
Origins of the Groote Museum
The Groote Museum first opened in 1855 for members of the zoological society Natura Artis Magistra. Here, they could study the natural world in cases and cabinets crammed with objects such as shells, skulls and whole skeletons. Back then, we humans saw ourselves as outsiders, separate from the natural world. The new Groote Museum overturns this world view and makes us all insiders: part of the complete whole.
Discover answers
Would you like to experience what connects us to all other life on earth? The animations, installations, artworks, films and stories in the Groote Museum hold up a mirror to you, confront you with questions and give you different perspectives. You will discover answers, but also ask new questions. Continue to marvel at the beauty of earth.