Escher in Het Paleis combines two very different things: the work of Maurits Cornelis Escher, the Dutch graphic artist whose impossible buildings and interlocking birds and fish are known all over the world, and a real royal palace.
The Lange Voorhout Palace was used by Queen Emma as her winter palace from 1896 until her death in 1934, and later by other members of the royal family. Since 2002 it has housed a permanent Escher exhibition. The ground floor tells the palace’s story; the first floor shows Escher’s prints, from his early Italian landscapes to the famous tessellations and impossible structures such as Relativity, Waterfall and Ascending and Descending, and the long Metamorphosis.
Look up as you go: the palace rooms are hung with spectacular contemporary chandeliers. At the top, an interactive floor of optical illusions lets you test Escher’s ideas for yourself — a favourite with children.
Top things to do: Escher in Het Paleis
See the famous prints
Relativity, Waterfall, Drawing Hands and the long Metamorphosis are the crowd-pleasers, but the early woodcuts of Italian hill towns are a revelation.
Play with the illusions
The top floor has interactive optical illusions, including rooms that seem to shrink or grow the people inside them.
Notice the palace
Many of the royal rooms keep their proportions and details, and the chandeliers add a surreal note that suits Escher perfectly.
Book a ticket
Tickets are sold through GetYourGuide, sometimes with an audio guide option, and at the door.
How to get to Escher in Het Paleis
- On foot: on Lange Voorhout, about 5 minutes from the Mauritshuis and 10–15 minutes from Den Haag Centraal.
- By tram: stops at Kneuterdijk and Buitenhof are close by.
Insider tips
- Allow 1 to 1.5 hours; longer with children who love the illusion floor.
- Very young children have been admitted free with a paying adult — check the current rules.
- Large bags are not allowed in the galleries.
- The museum closes on a few holidays such as Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
Best activities for Escher in Het Paleis
These well-reviewed experiences pair well with a visit to Escher in Het Paleis:
Museum ticket The Hague: Escher in The Palace Museum Ticket
Entry to the permanent M.C. Escher exhibition in the former winter palace of Queen Emma, with an optional audio guide on some options. Young children go free with a paying adult, according to the listing.
- A large collection of Escher prints
- Metamorphosis III and the famous impossible worlds
- Optical-illusion floor and palace chandeliers
Museum ticket The Hague: Mauritshuis Entrance Ticket
Entry to the 17th-century palace on the Hofvijver that holds one of the world’s finest collections of Dutch Golden Age painting. Large bags, selfie sticks and flash photography are not allowed, according to the listing.
- Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring and View of Delft
- Rembrandt’s Anatomy Lesson and Fabritius’s The Goldfinch
- Multimedia guide app to download
Guided bike tour The Hague: Highlights Bike Tour
A guided ride past the city’s landmarks — the Binnenhof, palaces, embassies and parks — at an easy pace on flat cycle paths. Check the listing for the exact route and meeting point.
- The main sights by bike with a local guide
- Learn the Dutch rules of the cycle lane
- Bike included
