Address
Witte de Withstraat 50, 3012 BR Rotterdam, NL
E: office [at] kunstinstituutmelly.nl
T: +31(0)10-411 01 44
Hours
Wednesday through Sunday we are open from 11 am to 6 pm, and on Fridays during the Kunstavond until 9 pm.
During IFFR, we are open on the days the festival takes place, from 11 am to 6 pm.
In 2025 Kunstinstituut Melly is open during Easter (20 and 21 April), Ascension Day (29 May), Pentecost (8 and 9 June) and Boxing Day (26 December), from 11 am to 6 pm .
We are closed on Mondays, Tuesdays and on the following public holidays: New Year’s Day (1 January), King’s Day (celebrated in 2025 on 26 April) and Christmas (25 December).
Tickets
€ 10,00
Admission to Kunstinstituut Melly
€ 5,00
Admission for CJP, students, and 65+
Free
Admission is always free to Kunstinstituut Melly’s ground-floor space MELLY Bookshop / Cafe, where most of our public programming is hosted. Our exhibitions and programs are admission-free every Friday from 6 to 9 pm as part of de Kunstavond. We also offer free admission always to all visitors 18 years of age and younger; to card holders of ICOM, Museumkaart, Rotterdampas, and IAA Card; and to Kunstinstituut Melly members.
€ 60
Admission for school groups and parties of ten or more people, including guided tour or interactive exhibitions-walkthrough by an art mediator with prior appointment. More information here.
Bookshop & Café
Our bookshop in MELLY carries a selection of publications related to our exhibition program, as well as to our BOOKS program. In the latter case, we invite artists, curators, and others to choose books that inspire them, and which we present in public programs. Additionally, the bookshop carries publications that our institution has released over time, as well as a selection of titles made by TENT – CBK Rotterdam, especially by local artists or pertaining to the city. Some of our bookshop titles are available in our online shop.
Click here, for an overview of public programs happening in our MELLY Bookshop & Café.
The café at MELLY serves refreshments and snacks.
Since 2018, our bookshop and café are located in the window-lined, street-level gallery space of Kunstinstituut Melly, a multi-purpose space with a dynamic program of displays and events.
This space is called MELLY, a name given by the participants of the first edition of our Work-Learn Program, which is inspired by Ken Lum’s artwork "Melly Shum Hates Her Job" placed in our building facade since its commission in 1990. This space of public engagement, the naming of MELLY, and the image and history of Lum’s artwork were among the inspirations of our institution’s new name Kunstinstituut Melly.
Accessibility
Kunstinstituut Melly is open to everyone, regardless of class, gender, sexual orientation, race, religion, limitations, disabilities, nationality, or educational background.
Sensory Map
Our exhibitions may be overly stimulating for neurodiverse visitors. To address this, we’ve developed a sensory map of our galleries. This map serves as a preparation guide for your visit and aids in navigating the exhibitions. It includes all current sensory stimuli present in the exhibitions currently on view. The map is available on location and digitally via this link.
Mobility aid access
An electric ramp in the main entrance (110 cm wide and 150 cm long — the handle extends 10.5 cm), an elevator within the building (lift door is 90 cm wide, the inside is 106 cm wide and 140 cm long), and an accessible WC are available at Kunstinstituut Melly. The institute can be navigated with wheelchairs, mobility scooters, walkers, and baby strollers. When needed, there is always someone present at the entrance to assist.
Restrooms
Restrooms are accessible for wheelchair users on the ground floor. One restroom on the ground floor is equipped with a baby changing table.
Companions
When you are unable to navigate the institution independently, your companion will not be required to pay the entrance fee.
Service dogs
Kunstinstituut Melly allows service dogs fitted with a suitable harness.
Language
Our exhibitions didactics are published in Dutch and English. These are meant to offer ideas about contemporary art and theory to art specialists, as well as to provide general audiences with an introductory context to the work of artists participating in our exhibitions. While some live and online public programs are conducted in Dutch, most of these are in English. This is to at once accommodate both local and international presenters and audiences. Exhibition walkthroughs and interactive tours for school groups and parties of 10 people or more, which are scheduled by appointment, can be conducted in either Dutch or English; for other languages, please inquire.
Directions
By bike
The ride from Rotterdam Central Station to Kunstinstituut Melly is approximately 8 minutes. Bikes can be rented at the train station. Click here for personalized directions.
By foot
The walk from Rotterdam Central Station takes about 17 minutes. Click here for personalized directions.
By public transport
From Rotterdam Central Station take:
Tram 6, direction Heemraadsplein, stop Eendrachtsplein, walk 5 min.
Tram 8 direction Schiedam/Spangen, stop Museumpark, walk 2 min.
Metro lines A/B/C, stop Eendrachtsplein, walk 4 min.
or Metro line D and E, stop Beurs, walk 8 min.
By car
Click here for personalized directions.
Parking
Parking in the city center of Rotterdam requires payment with a debit card. The nearest parking lot to Kunstinstituut Melly is Apcoa Westblaak on Hartmansstraat 24, where it is possible to pay with a bank card.
Accessible parking
Disabled parking is possible in Witte de Withstraat in front of building 19, 25, 96 and at the Apcoa Parking Westblaak.
Contact Us
General Inquiries
T: +31 (0)10 411 01 44
E-mail: office [at] kunstinstituutmelly.nl
School Groups and Group Visits
T: +31 (0)10 411 01 44
E-mail: education [at] kunstinstituutmelly.nl
Press Inquiries
Luke Fentross
T: +31 (0)10 411 01 44
E-mail: press [at] kunstinstituutmelly.nl
Archive Inquiries
marjolijn kok
T: +31 (0)10 411 01 44
E-mail: archive [at] kunstinstituutmelly.nl
Visiting and Mailing Address
Kunstinstituut Melly
Witte de Withstraat 50
3012 BR Rotterdam
The Netherlands