The Vleeshal was built in the years 1602 to 1605 and was originally a ‘meat hall’ where butchers sold their goods. The heads of bulls and rams on the façades are reminders of the original function of the building. It is an example of
Dutch Renaissance architecture, with Renaissance ornaments being applied on a basic Gothic structure (floor plan and outer walls). The Renaissance forms include pilasters,
rustication, Tuscan (interior) pillars, scrollwork (above the cellar entrances) and obelisks. Sample prints by
Hans Vredeman de Vries from Antwerp provided a source of inspiration for this. De Vleeshal was built by
Lieven de Key, the town architect, commissioned by the city government, which judging by the finished building had a substantial treasury at the time. It remained a meat hall all the way into the 19th century. The building later fulfilled a totally different function; from 1840 to 1885 it served as a storehouse for a garrison quartered in Haarlem. Later the building served as a Public Records Office, and after that as a depot for the municipal library. During the
Second World War the building was occupied by the Distribution Service. After World War II, the Mayor and Aldermen decided that the building should be repurposed as an exhibition hall, with the first exhibitions held in 1950. De Hallen Haarlem organizes alternating exhibitions of contemporary art on two floors, showcasing both contemporary and modern art throughout the summer. The Archeological Museum is located in the cellar of the building. File:Archeologisch Museum Haarlem.jpg|The cellar of the Vleeshal is in use by the
Archeologisch Museum Haarlem. Visitors with a handicap can use an elevator that can be reached through the museum's entrance. File:Gevel - Haarlem - 20097756 - RCE.jpg|The area in front of the museum was a parking lot for visitors and employees before the Verweyhal was added the gallery in 1992. == Entrance building ==