The Casteelse Poort (Castle Gate) museum was founded in 1988. The initiative was taken by the Wageningen historical society, founded in 1973.

The museum is a so called Registered Museum, accepted in the official register of licensed Dutch museums.

The museum has the legal form of a non-profit foundation. The municipality of Wageningen supplies funds for the maintenance of the building and budget to keep the museum open to the public. The museum board and staff members all are volunteers.

 

Based on its mission to be the cultural-historical centre of the city of Wageningen the museum offers the opportunity to all citizens and other visitors to experience the richness of the history of the town. In this way the museum contributes to the promotion of Wageningen as a pleasant place to live, to work and recreate.

1927 - Founding of the Society ‘Oudheidskamer Wageningen’. In 1928 this society was offered a room in the City Hall for exhibition purposes. As from 1935 the collection of exhibits took place in the Dutch Agricultural Museum, also in Wageningen.

1940 - In May 1940 the collection was affected by war damage. Later that year the collection was housed in various places.

1948 - Establishment of the Municipal Historical Museum. The collection again moved to several rooms of the Dutch Agricultural Museum.

1965 – Demolition of the Agricultural Museum; the Municipal History Museum was dissolved. The collection was stored outside Wageningen.

1988 - Establishment of the Foundation Historical Museum Wageningen "Casteelse Poort" by instigation of the historical society Oud Wageningen, located at the current address Villa Vada, Bowlespark 1a.

2000 - Recognition of the museum as a Registered Museum.