Painting by Joop Kropff on display at TT pop-up museum
From today, the TT pop-up museum in Assen is open. One of the works on display is the painting ''In Memory of the TT Races at Assen by Joop Kropff (1892–1979)'', from the collection of the Drents Museum.
The pop-up museum takes visitors through more than one hundred years of TT history, not only as a sporting event, but also as a cultural phenomenon. From the first race, with its start and finish in Rolde in 1925, through the international reputation of The Cathedral of Speed, to the campsites, the TT Festival and the people who make the event possible year after year.
The exhibition explores several themes: the early years (1925–1939) and the evolution of the circuit, international prestige, TT heroes, women and the TT, man and machine, the riders ’paddock of the 1970s, spectators and camping culture, and a symbolic finish in 2026. At the centre of the exhibition stands a large circular pillar — topped with a motorcycle — featuring 101 years of iconic TT moments.
Close collaboration
The TT pop-up museum has been realised through a collaboration between the Drents Museum, Drenthe College, Stichting TT Museum and TT Circuit Assen. Robert van Langh, Managing Director of the Drents Museum, said: “The TT and the Drents Museum are two icons that complement each other beautifully in this special collaboration. Telling the rich history of the TT as part of Drenthe’s heritage is of great significance to us, and we are pleased to contribute to this partnership.”
Open daily
The TT pop-up museum is located in the motorcycle workshop of the TT Institute at Drenthe College, next to the circuit. The museum is open daily from 28 May until 28 June 2026, from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm. Tickets cost €5, while children up to and including the age of eleven are admitted free when accompanied by an adult.
The pop-up museum marks a first concrete step towards the establishment of a permanent TT museum in Assen.
