Philips Museum

The Philips Museum in Eindhoven tells the story of the company that made the city, and it is housed in the original Philips factory building on the Emmasingel, near the centre. In 1891, Gerard Philips, a young engineer, together with his father Frederik, bought an empty factory in what was then a modest town and started to make incandescent light bulbs. The firm grew rapidly, and by the twentieth century it had become one of the biggest electronics companies in the world and the dominant employer in Eindhoven, which grew from a small town into a major city around it.

The museum follows that history through displays, objects and multimedia. It begins with the early light bulbs and shows how the company learned to make them in large numbers, and then moves through the products that followed: radios, television sets, X-ray equipment and other medical devices, electric shavers, tape recorders and later the compact cassette and the compact disc, which Philips developed with Sony in the early 1980s. Many of these inventions changed daily life, and visitors who remember them will find the displays nostalgic, while younger visitors will be amazed at the size of the early machines. The company's role in medical technology and lighting today is also covered, along with its efforts at research and design.

The museum is designed to be accessible to families, with interactive exhibits and a treasure-hunt style activity for children. An audio tour is available in several languages, and there are a cafe and a shop. Ticket prices vary for adults, children, students and holders of museum cards, and there may be times when entry is free or reduced, so check the current arrangements before visiting. Combining the visit with other museums in Eindhoven is easy.

Eindhoven has a number of museums that fit well together. The Van Abbemuseum is a leading museum of modern and contemporary art, the DAF Museum covers the Dutch truck and car maker, and the PSV Museum is for football fans. Genneper Parken offers a green break, the Prehistoric Village is an open-air museum, and the Sint-Catharinakerk, St. Catherine's Church, is the main historic church in the centre. In November the GLOW festival fills the city with light art, which is a nod to the city's history as a city of light.

The museum suits families, technology fans, design lovers and anyone interested in business history. Allow about two hours, and go on a weekday if you want to avoid crowds.