The fact that you are able to come and discover today in Discovery Museum is due entirely to the volatile industrial development of Kerkrade and the surrounding region. In the 19th century, coal was mined here on an ever-greater scale. This industry made the region prosperous and technologically sophisticated until, in 1974, the last pieces of coal were dug up.
It is against this backdrop that, in 1998, ‘Industrion – museum of industry and society’ opened. Here, the once-great story of mines and industry was told in a broad context. The collection soon outgrew the space available in the museum so, in 2015, a large extension was added. King Willem-Alexander opened Museumplein that year, with the three institutions Continium discovery center, Columbus earth theater and Cube design museum.
Discovery Museum reopened in April 2021 and is the latest development on Museumplein. Here, science and technology, planet and design come together in a modern, broadly-based museum concept. There’s a whole world for inquiring minds to discover at the museum.
