Nationaal Glasmuseum Leerdam

What Nationaal Glasmuseum Leerdam does

Nationaal Glasmuseum Leerdam (Stichting Nationaal Glasmuseum Leerdam) is a Dutch private foundation established in 1953 that operates the Netherlands' only national museum dedicated entirely to glass art. It is headquartered at Lingedijk 28-30 in Leerdam and runs two physical sites: the main museum building and the Glasblazerij (glassblowing workshop) on Zuidwal in the city centre, where skilled glassblowers perform live demonstrations six days per week. The foundation holds ANBI (Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling) status and is structurally funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) and the municipality of Vijfheerenlanden.

The core product surface combines a permanent collection of Dutch glass art spanning the early 20th century to the present with rotating exhibitions (recent programmes include 'Sterren van Johan Thorn Prikker', 'Stilleven', 'Elementen', 'Fantaisies Artistiques', and 'Licht in de duisternis'). Supporting offerings include the Glaslab interactive glass-making experience, courses, valuation days, school visits, a physical museum shop, and an online webshop (glasuitleerdam.nl) selling glassware produced in the workshop. A bundled cultural-culinary arrangement launched in late 2025 combines museum admission, dinner at Restaurant De Houtloods, and a guided illuminated-glass evening walk.

The business model is a hybrid of public subsidy and earned revenue. FY2025 total income was €2,059,986, of which €1,194,628 (≈58%) came from government subsidies and €865,358 (≈42%) from products and services (tickets, retail, courses, arrangements). The institution employs 15 paid staff and is supported by approximately 120 volunteers; it reported a thin net surplus of €28,472 in 2025 and holds €3,774,133 in total assets. Day-to-day operations are led by Director/Bestuurder Laurens Geurtz under a five-member Supervisory Board (Raad van Toezicht).

Name

Nationaal Glasmuseum Leerdam

Legal name

Stichting Nationaal Glasmuseum Leerdam

Website

https://nationaalglasmuseum.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Dutch national glass museum and active glassblowing workshop in Leerdam, preserving and exhibiting Dutch glass art heritage to general visitors, families, art enthusiasts, and group bookings, with revenue from admissions, retail, courses, arrangements, and structural government subsidies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Glass Art Museum & Cultural Heritage Center

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Museums (712110)

SIC

Glass & Glassware, Pressed Or Blown (3220)

akta.pro primary industry

Museum, Zoo & Attraction Gift Shops (CRALAJAG)

Keywords

• Glass art museum
• Live glassblowing demonstrations
• Dutch glass heritage
• Cultural exhibitions
• Educational glass workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Leerdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Subsidies: Government subsidies from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW) and municipality support. In 2025, total subsidy income was €1,194,628.
2. Ticket sales: Admission fees collected at the museum counter. Groups can pre-book tickets.
3. Retail - Gift shop and webshop: Sales of glassware products made in the museum's glassblowing workshop, books about glass, and merchandise.
4. Catering and arrangements: Revenue from the 'Licht in de duisternis' culturalculinary arrangement at €32.50/€42.50 per person, including dinner at De Houtloods restaurant.
5. Donations and sponsorships: Donations from visitors, crowdfunding campaigns (e.g., for Art Deco monument restoration), and support from Vereniging Rembrandt for acquisitions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Stichting Nationaal Glasmuseum Leerdam operates a glass art museum with permanent and rotating exhibitions alongside a working glassblowing workshop (Glasblazerij) that performs live demonstrations six days per week. It sells in-house blown glassware and books via a museum shop and online webshop, runs educational courses and school programs, hosts valuation days, and offers combined cultural-culinary arrangements with a local restaurant. Revenue is supported structurally by Dutch Ministry of OCW and municipal subsidies, ticket sales, retail, donations, and sponsorships.

Product overview

Nationaal Glasmuseum Leerdam operates as a unified museum and living craft center focused on glass art. The core offering combines the Glasmuseum (museum with permanent collection and rotating exhibitions) and the Glasblazerij (glassblowing workshop with live demonstrations six days per week). Supporting products include the museum shop/webshop selling blown glass from Leerdam, the Glaslab interactive experience, educational courses, valuation days, school visit programs, and the 'Licht in de Duisternis' combination arrangement with dining and guided tours. The museum serves as both a cultural institution preserving Dutch glass heritage and an active glassblowing center open to the public.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Glasmuseum Museum Visits and Exhibitions
• Glasblazerij Live Glassblowing Demonstrations
• Museum Shop and Online Webshop
• Glassblowing Courses (Cursussen)
• Glaslab Interactive Experience
• Taxatiedagen (Glass Valuation Days)
• Arrangement Licht in de Duisternis
• School Visits (Schoolbezoek)

Quantifiable outcome

• Live glassblowing demonstrations available six days per week for visitor engagement

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Restaurant De HoutloodsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Collaboration for the 'Licht in de duisternis' arrangement, combining museum visits with dinner at De Houtloods restaurant overlooking the Linge river.
• Gebiedsmarketing Tussen Lek en LingeminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Regional tourism marketing organization collaborating on the 'Licht in de duisternis' arrangement to promote cultural tourism in the region.
• Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en Wetenschap (OCW)coreOthersGovernment ministry providing structural financial support to the museum as a national cultural institution.
• Gemeente VijfheerenlandencoreOthersMunicipality providing structural financial support to the museum.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Glasmuseet Ebeltoft: Danish glass museum with a strong contemporary glass-art collection and active studio-glass programming. Comparable scope of permanent collection plus rotating exhibitions in a small Northern-European cultural institution context.
• Museum of Glass (Tacoma): Major US glass museum featuring a working Hot Shop with live glassblowing demonstrations, contemporary glass exhibitions, and educational programs. Closely comparable in combining live craft theater with curated glass-art exhibitions.
• WheatonArts (Museum of American Glass): Cultural center in Millville, NJ housing the Museum of American Glass plus a working Glass Studio with daily demonstrations. A direct functional analog combining glass museum, live glassblowing, and craft-education programming for visitors.
• Corning Museum of Glass: The world's largest glass museum, located in Corning, NY. Operates a glassblowing workshop with live demonstrations, a permanent collection of historic and contemporary glass, and a strong retail/educational arm — directly comparable to Leerdam's dual museum-and-Glasblazerij model.
• Glasmuseum Frauenau: Leading German glass museum in the Bavarian Forest, combining historic glass collections with an active glassblowing facility and craft workshops. The closest European peer given shared emphasis on glass heritage preservation plus live craft production.

Broad incumbents

• Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam: Dutch museum for modern and contemporary art & design. Comparable as a Netherlands-based ANBI cultural institution with overlapping visitors interested in design history and decorative arts.
• Rijksmuseum: The Netherlands' flagship national museum, also structurally funded by OCW. While not glass-focused, it sets the bar for Dutch national-museum operations, ticketing, retail, and educational programming that a specialized institution like Leerdam is benchmarked against.
• Kröller-Müller Museum: Major Dutch art museum in Otterlo combining a fine-art collection with sculpture gardens and heritage buildings. Comparable as a mid-sized ANBI Dutch cultural institution attracting visitors interested in art and craft heritage.
• Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen: Major Dutch art museum with a relevant applied-arts/design collection. Comparable as a Dutch cultural institution of similar scale and ANBI status, with overlapping design-and-decorative-arts audiences.
• Kunstmuseum Den Haag: Dutch museum of modern and applied art (formerly Gemeentemuseum), holding decorative-arts collections that intersect with glass design. Comparable audience of design/heritage enthusiasts visiting a Dutch cultural institution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/glasmuseum
• Facebookfacebook.com/Glasmuseum
• Instagraminstagram.com/glasmuseum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nationaal-glasmuseum-leerdam

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Nationaal Glasmuseum Leerdam