There are a handful of wonderful outdoor museums in the Netherlands focusing on typical Dutch lifestyle during the 17th and 18th centuries. The Netherlands also boasts a large number of old, scenic windmills. At Zaanse Schans you can find the best of both of these.
Zaanse Schans is the brain child of architect Jaap Schipper in an attempt save the Zaan region’s cultural heritage from destruction. Instead of demolishing old buildings within the region, they were moved to a designated area now known as Zaanse Schans. The first of those buildings was moved in 1956 and the Zaanse Schans resort celebrated its official opening to the public in 1972.
Located just outside of Amsterdam, Zaanse Schans has much to offer. Several on-site museums are open to visitors including the Museum of Dutch Timepieces, the Albert Heijn Shop Museum which is housed in a reconstruction of the first store of the Albert Heijn supermarket chain, the In de Gecroonde Duyvekater Bakery Museum, and the Noorderhuis costume and period room museum.
Six windmills dot this Zaanse wooden building reserve with colorful names like Man of the House Mill, The Cat, The Seeker, The Young Sheep, and The Speckled Hen. Each one of these windmills serves a different purpose (mustard mill, paint mill, oil mill, saw mill, and oil mill respectively) and is open to the public.
Cheese making demonstrations are held at the Catherina Hoeve cheese factory where you can taste and purchase some of the most savory cheeses to ever hit your taste buds. A tin pewter foundry known as De Tinkoepel is a great place to see pewter making demonstrations, weather permitting. Judging by the large crowds, the most popular of these is the Clog Maker, located in De Vrede. In addition to a clog museum and souvenir shop, there are also clog making demonstrations given throughout the day.
You can also stroll along the walkways and take in the view that Zaanse Schans has to offer: beautiful wooden buildings, small gardens, bridges over canals, quaint houses, and the neighboring village of Zaandijk are but a few. There are also plenty of cafes and shops to keep you busy in between.
Meanwhile, back at the visitors’ center there’s even more. Besides the requisite gift shop and cafe, two additional museums are housed here: the Zaanse Museum and the Verkade Pavilion. The Zaanse Museum is a collection of art, clothing, model ships and windmills, household items, furniture, and other antique pieces specific to the Zaans region. Films depicting this region’s heritage are shown throughout the exhibit.
At the Verkade Pavilion visitors can play virtual and interactive games interspersed throughout a replica of a Verkade factory. One of the leading food companies in the Netherlands, Verkade was established in 1886 and is known for its bread, rusks, and biscuits. Their brilliant advertising schemes, the making of their line of tealight candles, and a history of the company and the “Verkade Girls� that made it famous are all on display.
Paid parking is available at the visitors’ center. To get there, you can take the train to Zaandam or hop on bus 91 from Amsterdam Centraal Station to Zaanse Schans.
For just the Zaanse Museum and the Verkade Pavilion, tickets are €7.50 per adult and €4 per child aged 4-17. Entry into windmills is €3 per person. Admission to the In de Gecroonde Duyvekater Bakery Museum is €1 per adult and €0.50 per child aged 4-11. To get into the Museum of Dutch Time Pieces, entry fees of €5 for adults, €3 for children up to age 12, and €4 for children ages 13-17 are required.
A Zaanse Schans Card can also be purchased at €9.50 for adults, €5.75 for children 4-12, €6.75 for children 13-17, and €8.75 for senior citizens (65+). This card includes: entrance to the Zaanse Museum and Verkade Pavilion; entrance to one industrial windmill of your choice and discount rates at a second windmill; and discounts and special offers at the Wooden Shoe Workshop, the Pewter Foundry, The Albert Heijn Grocery Shop and the Cheese Farm. Restaurant De Kraai and Restaurant De Hoop op d'Swarte Walvis also offer special rates to card holders on specified menu items.
The museums and visitors’ center are closed on 25 December and 1 January. Opening times are 10 am to 5 pm Monday-Sunday. Zaanse Schans itself is always open. Opening days and times for the museums, windmills, cheese factory, and demonstrations may vary. For more information, visit the website.
Zaanse Schans also has the distinction of continuing to serve as a residential area.
