Town Hall

The historic Haarlem town hall The town hall has an ornate facade

The 'Stadhuis', or Town Hall of Haarlem looks out towards the Great Church on the other side of the main square in the centre of town. This elegant building is the official residence of the Mayor of Haarlem.

In the 13th century, the Duke of Holland gifted his local castle to the town of Haarlem, whose city elders soon added new wings to house the town officials. An adjacent Dominican monastery was incorporated in the 16th century and some of the cloisters can still be seen today. More extensions followed in the 17th century, one by locally renowned town architect Lieven de Key. The original 15th century tower was pulled down towards the end of the 18th century but rebuilt in 1913 by a local trust. A final extension, added just before WW2, completed the present-day building.

The town hall is a popular venue for marriages: couples emerge through a rain of confetti onto the red-carpetted stairway underneath the fine classical facade. Also worthy of note are the sombre portraits of local nobility in the Old Duke's Room and the paintings by Golden Age Dutch artist Frans Hals in the museum rooms. Guided tours are available by prior arrangement only.