Rijksmuseum to open free-entry sculpture garden after large donation
Collection Maykova / Shutterstock.com
By Simone Jacobs
The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam has announced plans to open a freely accessible sculpture garden after receiving a large donation from the Don Quixote Foundation.
Dutch public to enjoy Rijksmuseum sculpture garden for free
The Rijksmuseum’s new sculpture garden will be located at the intersection of Boerenwetering, Ruysdaelkade and Stadhouderskade canals. Sculptures from world-renowned artists such as Alberto Giacometti, Louise Bourgeois, Alexander Calder, Jean Arp, Roni Horn and Henry Moore will be displayed in a “green setting featuring three pavilions”.
It will be the first time the park's existing pavilions will be open to the public. With a planned opening in the autumn of 2026, the public will be allowed to access the sculpture garden free of charge. Exact opening hours will be revealed closer to the time.
Rijksmuseum receives “exceptional” donation
The Dutch museum is able to open a sculpture garden in Amsterdam after receiving a large donation from the Don Quixote Foundation totalling 60 million euros. The new pavilion will be named the Don Quixote Pavilion and Garden at the Rijksmuseum.
The Don Quixote Foundation was founded by Rolly van Rappard to provide long-term financial and other support to the Rijksmuseum Fund Foundation. Van Rappard is part of one of the richest aristocratic families in the Netherlands and has appeared in the Quote 500 several times.
“This is a historic donation and a historic moment for the Rijksmuseum,” said Rijksmuseum director Taco Dibbits in a press release. “It gives modern sculpture the visibility it deserves. It also represents an unprecedented enhancement to the Rijksmuseum's 20th-century collection.”
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Editor for the Netherlands at IamExpat Media. Simone studied Genetics and Zoology at the University of Pretoria in South Africa before moving to the Netherlands, where she has been working as a writer and editor since 2022. One thing she loves more than creating content is consuming it, mainly by reading books by the dozen. Other than being a book dragon, she is also a nature lover and enjoys hiking and animal training. Read more