Bonnefanten: art and architecture beside the Meuse
In Maastricht, Rossi’s domed tower, old art and Born to Play draw visitors. On 16 October the museum is partly open and offers a discount at the ticket desk.
Walking beside the Meuse in Maastricht, you can recognise the Bonnefanten by Aldo Rossi’s domed tower. The museum building opened in 1995 and is more than a shell for art: Rossi also designed elements of its interior. The entrance on the city side is on Avenue Céramique. The photograph of the front and the view from Kennedy Bridge show two sides of the same building. They were taken years ago and say nothing about the current arrangement of the galleries.
Bonnefanten brings old art and contemporary artists under one roof. The combination means a visit need not begin or end with a single period. On Friday 16 October 2026, however, the route is shorter than usual. The second floor is closed while a new exhibition is installed. According to the museum, the first floor with old art and the third floor with Born to Play remain accessible until 26 October. Do not plan a full tour of all floors.
Born to Play is aimed mainly at children aged six to twelve. It explores how artists use play in making art. Visitors can touch materials, dress up, make shadows and solve puzzles, among other things. The invitation is to look and do things together. Families visiting Maastricht have a clear destination on the third floor. The museum says the activities can interest other ages too; the stated age range is still a useful guide.
Another point of interest is Aldo Rossi: Darling Architecture, a permanent tribute to the museum’s architect. Drawings, models, furniture, designs and archive material show how Rossi thought about buildings, everyday objects and memory. For this presentation, the museum brought together a set of original museum furniture again. Because the second floor is temporarily closed, it is unclear which parts of this presentation can be reached on 16 October. Ask at the entrance about the current route if this is your main reason for visiting.
After this period of partial access, all exhibition galleries will close for installation work between 26 October and 10 November. According to the museum, the shop and art-lending service will remain open during that period. Cooking from the Fridge is planned from 11 November. For it, 27 guest curators selected 270 works by 145 artists from the collections of Bonnefanten, SCHUNCK in Heerlen and Het Domein in Sittard. The programme thus links three collection histories in South Limburg. This exhibition is not yet on view on 16 October.
Limited access also affects admission. Bonnefanten says tickets are available at half the normal price through 26 October, only at the museum ticket desk and not online. The usual adult price is €22; for students and CJP cardholders it is €11. Visitors aged eighteen and under and Museumkaart holders are listed as entering free. Because the discount and free categories may work differently, ask the desk to confirm the applicable price. Regular hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 11 am to 5 pm.
The address is Avenue Céramique 250, 6221 KX Maastricht. From Maastricht station, the museum lists several bus routes to the Bonnefantenmuseum stop. Most of the building is accessible by lift; reaching the third floor requires the regular lift. The nearby Q-Park Bonnefantenmuseum garage has no lift, which matters when choosing transport. A wheelchair can be reserved through the museum.