Established 1912 (1912) President Jeroen van der Veer | Type Open-air museum | |
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Location Schelmseweg 89
Arnhem, Netherlands Visitors 509,000 (2013)
Ranking 6th nationally (2013) Director Pieter-Matthijs Gijsbers | ||
The Netherlands Open Air Museum (Dutch: Nederlands Openluchtmuseum) is an open-air museum and park located near Arnhem with antique houses, farms and factories from different parts of the Netherlands. The Netherlands Open Air Museum is a national museum focusing on the culture associated with the everyday lives of ordinary people.
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History
The museum was founded in 1912 and is situated in the woods near Arnhem. The museum park is 44 hectares in area and includes buildings from various places and historical periods.
In 1987, the Dutch government was primed to shut down the museum, but in a demonstration of solidarity for the historic museum, Dutch crowds flooded the museum's doors, hoping to view the exhibits before they closed. The museum was allowed to remain open due to its unprecedented success during this time and was given greater autonomy over its organization. The museum also has a collection of historical clothing and jewellery. New indoor exhibition space was built in 1999–2000. The museum won the European Museum of the Year Award in 2005.
Future
The museum has set out on a new course, widening its focus from life and work in the countryside to include everyday culture. In addition, the historical presentations are increasingly being brought to life. In the museum park, for example, you will come across the wheelwright and the miller, who will be happy to give you a demonstration of their work. But you will also be surprised by smells, sounds and multimedia presentations, all of which fit in perfectly with the historical ambiance.
With the completion of the stunning HollandRama attraction and the new entrance pavilion with its exhibition halls and auditorium in 2000, the Open Air Museum opened the door to the future.
Attractions
On site at the museum there are many reenactors demonstrating the old way of life. Among these demonstrations are paper production, linseed production, and beer brewing, which are all demonstrated in the old way. The smells, colors and tastes of our past memories brings everyone up. You can also buy the products which are made in the museum and take them home. Under our own brand 't Goeye Goet is a range of craft products for sale in the museum shop and at a number of locations in the park. Great as a gift for those at home, or to enjoy after enjoying a wonderful day.
The heritage tram line opened in the museum in 1996. The line is 1750 m long, standard gauge. It has classic electric trams from Amsterdam, Arnhem, Rotterdam, and The Hague. The pride of the museum's line is a recreation of an Arnhem tram from 1929, the GETA 76, which was constructed by the museum.
Research
Much research is done on-site at the Open Air Museum for the dating of materials acquired. The Multimedia Library of the museum contains thousands of pictures, slides, diagrams, videos, and audio recordings documenting Dutch folk life. They also work in tandem with the Foundation for Historical Farm Research (SHBO), the Working Party for Farmyards Foundation (SWB), and the Centre for Documentation and Information on Regional Dress (SDI) in their research on folk culture.
Mission statement
The museum's website advertises its mission as,
"To share experiences...
To tell true stories about real people to a broad range of visitors through vivid, interactive presentations using authentic buildings and objects and to encourage visitors to share their own experiences with us – and with each other"