Universiteitsmuseum Groningen

Science for everyone

TEXT: XANDRA BOERSMA | PHOTO © UNIVERSITEITSMUSEUM GRONINGEN

If you think a museum dedicated to science might be inaccessible, think again. Science is about so much more than just complicated research. If you have ever visited the Universiteitsmuseum in Groningen, then you will already know this.

“Science is part of daily life,” explains curator Rolf ter Sluis. “It’s about curiosity and wanting to know things.” You need to be rather curious to find the museum too, as it is a hidden gem in city centre of Groningen. This gives it a true ‘wow’ factor. “People often tell us that they wish they had known about us sooner.”

As you probably guessed, the Universiteitsmuseum Groningen is part of the University. “Groningen’s University is old, but very open to innovation. Therefore, we have all sorts of exhibitions, focused on subjects ranging from education to anatomy, ethnology, zoology and Aletta Jacobs, the first woman in the Netherlands to get a PhD in medicine and a fighter for women’s suffrage. 2017 will mark 100 years since male universal suffrage was introduced in the Netherlands.”

A wide range of subjects are explored here, which makes this museum so accessible for a diverse crowd. “We want to show everybody that although the science world might seem inaccessible, it is definitely not. That doesn’t mean it’s easy though, we have exhibitions that need you to think thoroughly. You need to use that brain. But that’s what makes it fun,” enthuses the curator. Feeling inspired to visit this fascinating museum? Here is some more good news: entrance is free.

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