975th stamp blog: 100 years of the Museum Association (1926)

The Museumvereniging is an association of Dutch museums founded in 1926. Over five hundred museums are affiliated with the association. The Dutch Museumvereniging focuses on advocating for the interests and professionalization of its members, and promoting museum visits. It facilitates the Stichting Museumregister Nederland and the Ethische Codecommissie voor Musea. Furthermore, the Museumvereniging concludes the “Museum CAO”. Through the Stichting Museumkaart, the Museumvereniging is responsible for issuing the Museumkaart , in which approximately 400 of the association's 500 members participate. Cardholders have access to these museums for a year. The association is also responsible for organizing the Dutch Museum Week. Scheduled: September 26 to October 4, 2026.

A century of collaboration within the museum sector

Museums fulfill an important societal role. They contribute to knowledge sharing, reflection, and inspiration, and offer space for remembrance, recognition, and wonder. In the Netherlands, hundreds of museums together form a diverse museum landscape, in which collections and exhibitions contribute to the broader narrative of culture and history. Since 1926, museums within this landscape have collaborated through the Museumvereniging. What began as consultation between a few museum directors and professors has grown into a national association that today represents more than 500 museums. For a hundred years, museums have been connected to one another through this association and closely interwoven with society.

Over the past century, the Museum Association has developed in conjunction with the museum sector and the changing societal context. From a small-scale network, the association grew into a collective committed to the quality, professionalization, and accessibility of museums. Collaboration forms a central principle in this process.

100 years: historical perspective

On February 27, 1926, the Association of Directors of Dutch Museums (NMV) was founded in The Hague. Among the founders were the directors of the National Museum of Ethnology, the Fries Museum, the Maritime Museum, Museum de Lakenhal, the Open Air Museum, and Museum Zutphen. Today, more than 500 museums are members of the museum association. In 2024, these museums were visited approximately 30 million times. More than a quarter of the visitors came from abroad. Almost a third of the visitors owned a Museum Card. The Netherlands has approximately 1,5 million Museum Card holders.

Netherlands (2000): 200 years of the Rijksmuseum advertising poster. Source: geheugen.delpher.nl

Museums focusing on the history of a city or region are the most common category. Approximately one-fifth of museums are art museums. They account for the largest share (46 percent) of total museum revenue (1,31 billion euros). 50% of museum income consists of government subsidies (national, provincial, and municipal), while the other half consists of own revenue (entrance fees, catering, catering rentals, retail, and sponsorship (donors and funds)). As a result of increased personnel and accommodation costs (including energy costs), many museums closed 2024 with a negative operating result.

Exhibition: The Face Behind the Collection Netherlands Open Air Museum Arnhem, Love of Things Savings Station in 2004. Source: geheugen.delpher.nl

In 2003, the Museumkaart Foundation was integrated into the NMV. In 2006, the organization grew into the umbrella organization of Dutch museums. The NMV was organized into ten subject-matter sections, which organized study days and workshops. In addition, there was the Association of National Museums (VRM). As of January 2014, both umbrella organizations merged to form De Museumvereniging, with lawyer Irene Asscher-Vonk as its first chair.

The history of the Museum Association and the Dutch museum sector has been documented in a coherent manner for the first time in the book: 100 Years of the Museum Association: A Century Interwoven . Against the backdrop of political and societal developments, it becomes clear how museums have evolved over time. At the same time, it becomes apparent that certain issues and discussions are of a lasting nature.

The centenary anniversary also marks the dedication of the many board members, staff, and members who have contributed to the development and positioning of the sector during this period. Their commitment has laid the foundation for the continuity of the Museumvereniging. On this occasion, the Museumvereniging received the designation ' Royal' on 27 February 2026. King Willem-Alexander attended the celebration of its 100th anniversary at the Rijksmuseum to mark this special milestone. Although future developments are difficult to predict, museums remain places where heritage is managed, knowledge is shared, and societal issues are explored. The Museumvereniging remains committed to a future-proof museum sector that is relevant and accessible to a broad public. Through joint efforts, it can be ensured that museums continue to play an important role in the cultural and social infrastructure of the Netherlands for the next hundred years.

Museum Annual Pass (MJK) or Museum Card (MK)

The Museum Card is a concrete example of this collaboration. The card increases the accessibility of museums for a broad audience and is simultaneously based on a system of reciprocity and trust between museums. A balance is continuously sought between affordability for cardholders and a fair financial contribution to museums.

The Museumkaart is a personal museum pass in the Netherlands that provides unlimited access to over 500 museums for a year. The card has existed since 1981 and is issued by the Museumvereniging. The card can be purchased online and at over 220 museums. The Museumjaarkaart was established in 1981 by a number of museums. For several years, the card was linked to the NS-voordeelurenkaart and the Rabobankpas. The Museumjaarkaart Foundation merged with the Nederlandse Museumvereniging on January 1, 2003, and since April 2003, the Museumjaarkaart has been called the Museumkaart . Despite this, many people and museums still refer to it as the Museumjaarkaart or MJK.

Museum Annual Card (1987): Small, wide format. Stamp 26+.

The Museum Card aims to promote visits and strengthen the bond between museums and their visitors, encouraging them to return. The operation of the card is managed by the Museum Card Foundation, which also organizes Museum Weekend and supports the marketing of affiliated museums. The Museum Card Foundation receives no government subsidies and holds ANBI status (Public Benefit Organisation status). The foundation's income benefits the participating museums. Affiliated museums must be recognized as registered museums and be members of the Museum Association. Exceptionally, museums are permitted to charge a surcharge for costly exhibitions, which must also be paid by Museum Card holders. This surcharge must apply to all visitors and is temporary in nature.

Museum Annual Pass (1988): Small, slim format. Stamp 65+

For every visit made with the Museum Card, the foundation pays a visit reimbursement to the relevant museum retrospectively. This is a certain percentage of the average admission price of a standard-paying visit. This reimbursement percentage is determined annually at the national level. The Museum Card Foundation aims for this to be at least 60%. It was 70% for 2010 and 60% for 2023. To determine the reimbursement, no higher amount is applied to the average admission price of a museum than 1,5 times the weighted national average for all standard-paying museum visits.

Museum Card Success

The success of the Museum Card continued unabated in 2025. The number of cardholders grew to 1.540.188 on December 31, 2025, the highest number ever. In 2025, the digital Museum Card was launched, and the card is now also available to the public as a mobile app. There are currently 500.000 digital Museum Cards, approximately 33% of the total. Vera Carasso, Director of the Museum Association and the Museum Card Foundation: “This development makes the card even more user-friendly and further lowers the barrier to visiting museums. After all, you always have your phone with you.” The growth in the number of Museum Cards at the end of 2025 represents an increase of 3,2 percent compared to the end of 2024. Museum attendance also reached a new record. In 2025, cardholders collectively made more than 9.700.00 visits to participating museums. In 2024, this figure was over 9,5 million, and in 2023, over 9,4 million. A Museum Card holder visited a museum an average of 6,46 times per year.

Part of a Museum Annual Card (1981) for the over-65s. This group received a 50% discount, hence the different stamp for fl 7,50.

Research commissioned by the Museum Association shows that, thanks to the card, cardholders visit museums almost three times as often as those without a Museum Card. Additionally, Museum Card holders generate extra spending in museums, hospitality venues, and the museum shop. Moreover, cardholders regularly bring non-cardholders along, which accounts for approximately seven hundred thousand extra visits annually. The positive effects of the Museum Card apply to all types of museums: large and small, throughout the country, and for all types of collections. Museums outside the major cities benefit relatively strongly; there, a significant portion of visitors comes from Museum Card holders, and the card constitutes an even more important part of their revenue. The card is also popular among young adults (19–35 years), and the impact is substantial. In this group, the so-called additional visit factor is significantly higher than average, at approximately 3,5.

The Museum Card in (ultra)brief

The Museumkaart is a personal card that grants you access to more than 500 museums in the Netherlands for a year for a single fixed annual fee, namely €75 for adults and €39 for young people aged 18 and under. The revenue from all sold Museumkaart cards is distributed among the affiliated museums based on visits and admission prices. Organizationally, the Museumkaart falls under the Museumvereniging, the trade association for museums in the Netherlands. The Museumkaart is therefore truly the card of and for the museums themselves.