Netherlands Open Air Museum

The National Open Air Museum (1912): Farms, Windmills, A Tram Line And The Canon Of Dutch History In About 80 Hectares Of Woodland · Arnhem, Gelderland

The Netherlands Open Air Museum, the Nederlands Openluchtmuseum, sits in about 80 hectares of woodland on the northern edge of Arnhem. Founded in 1912, it was one of the first open-air museums in Europe after Scandinavia's, and it gathers farms, cottages, windmills, workshops and whole street scenes moved from every corner of the country, from a Frisian farmhouse to a Zaan district of green wooden houses. A historic tram carries visitors round the park, staff in costume run shops, laundries and kitchens, and the indoor Canon of the Netherlands exhibition tells Dutch history in a series of windows, from prehistory to today. People come for a relaxed family day that explains how ordinary Dutch people lived, worked and prayed, far from the canal crowds. The honest caveats: it is spread out and needs a full day, many buildings are quiet in winter, and without a car it takes a bus from Arnhem station.

Hoeferlaan 4, Arnhem, in woodland on the north edge of the city, Arnhem, Gelderland, Netherlands

Open all year, roughly 10:00-17:00 daily, with a winter programme in which some buildings and the tram may run on a reduced schedule or close (confirm current days and any closed dates in January). Buy a ticket online, which is usually cheaper and avoids the queue on busy days. From Arnhem Centraal a city bus reaches the entrance in about 15 minutes (confirm line), or cycle about 20 minutes. Paid parking is at the gate. Allow a full day.

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