Museums
Dive into the past, learn about bottle ships or plants, put on a hat, bake cookies or visit a special farm. There is certainly no shortage of fine museums in the region.
Hoedenmuseum Zet ‘m
In Hat Museum Zet 'm op in Andijk you will find a lot of ... indeed. Marvel at more than four hundred hats. There are also hat pins, boxes, books, magazines and other stuff to do with it. Some hats you may try on.
Kasteel Radboud
Put on armor and feel like a knight for a moment. Where? At Radboud Castle in Medemblik. Built in 1288 as a fortress, the castle is now a museum where you can learn about the Middle Ages. Also, come stand guard on the battlements. There are changing exhibitions and activities, and for children there is a play loft, among other things.
Bakkerijmuseum De Oude Bakkerij
Get ready for a journey of your senses at the Bakery Museum in Medemblik. Taste the freshly baked cookies and marzipan, smell the delicious bread and chocolate, feast your eyes on this historic place and learn about the history of the craft. Do your own baking, you can do that too. Perfect outing for the kids too.
Museum Huis van Oud
Curious about what things were like on a mixed farm in the 1940s and 1950s? When you step into the Huis van Oud - a small farmhouse from 1878 - you imagine yourself in days gone by. Think: bedsteads, coal stoves and a granite countertop. In the barn you see something of the primitive way of working and in the stables you find agricultural attributes from the middle of the last century. Every year there is a changing exhibition.
Museum van de 20e Eeuw
At the Museum van de 20e Eeuw in Hoorn, you are sure to experience many “oh yeah, I remember that” moments. The hundreds of objects and dozens of interiors take you back to life in the last century. From old kitchen utensils to the first gaming computers, from the VCR to nostalgic toys and much more, this museum takes you back to the past.
Sow to Grow
Did you know that the Netherlands is “world champion” in plant breeding? At Sow to Grow in Enkhuizen, you'll learn all about this interesting branch of the plant industry. At each attraction you can choose five levels of explanation on a loaner tablet. Sow to Grow is thus fun for young and old. The interactive museum is located in a beautiful historic building in the center of Enkhuizen. In the adjacent monastery garden and forecourt, natural examples of our daily food grow and flourish.
Zuiderzeemuseum
The Zuiderzeemuseum brings to life stories of the people who once lived along the shores of this turbulent sea. In the Outdoor Museum you can experience the daily life of a hundred years ago, before the Afsluitdijk turned this salty sea into a freshwater lake in 1932. See, hear, feel, taste and smell! Look inside the blacksmith and steam laundry or roll up your sleeves at the rope-maker and have a chat with the rag-and-bone man. Be sure to visit the indoor museum, too. Discover in this treasure chamber the largest museum collection of ships in the Netherlands and the interactive exhibition Sea full of stories to dive even deeper into life at the former Zuiderzee.
Flessenscheepjesmuseum
Sailors used to make bottle ships when there was a period of windlessness during their long sailing voyages. A precision job in which all parts had to be brought in through the neck of the bottle. The Flessenscheepjesmuseum in Enkhuizen has gathered the largest collection in the world. More than a thousand, in all shapes and sizes and from all parts of the world! You'll find the museum in a sixteenth-century lock keeper's house. Fun fact: the lock house was used as a pub in the film De scheepsjongens van Bontekoe.
Rundveemuseum
Ever seen a Witrik, a Brandrode or a Baggerbonte cow? At the Beef Museum in Aartswoud, you can! Because the cows are purebred, there are always calves drinking with their mothers. The living museum wants the original Dutch cow breeds to live on. This is badly needed: there are only 400 of some breeds left in our country. Also the other, smaller farm animals are not often seen anymore. Visit this unique museum. Big and small visitors are sure to experience a surprising afternoon!
6x very special
Also discover these six unique museums of West Friesland that are not to be missed:
1. Dieselgemaal Beetskoog in Oudendijk
2. Bromfiets Museum Berkhout
3. Nederlands Stoommachinemuseum in Medemblik
4. Eendenmuseum in Andijk
5. Museumstoomtram Hoorn-Medemblik
6. Westfries Museum
Typically West Frisian!
Discover the charm of West Friesland at two special museums:
- Museumboerderij West-Frisia in Hoogwoud
- Museumboerderij De Anloup in Zuidermeer.