Visit Openair Museum

Winters of yesteryear'

In our day we used to have real winters'. Your grandparents could spend many an hour talking about it. The wind was piercing cold and there were thick coverings of snow, food was scarce and the nights pitch black, but we did also get time off school to go ice skating! Streetlamps light up the darkness and in no time at all you can make your house nice and warm. Vests and hot water bottles have been consigned to the attic, or are now objects to admire at the Open Air Museum. At the Open Air Museum the winters of the past are being brought back to life. Fun on the ice!It wouldn’t be winter without enjoying some fun on the ice and we will therefore be transforming the large entrance square into a festively lit ice rink. Young and old alike can enjoy skating, and refreshments will be available in the convivial atmosphere around the ice. The ups and downs of winterIt’s nice and cosy beside the fire; the farmer's wife tells stories as her spinning wheel turns. In the side room the sound of a loom can be heard. Life is not easy. Supplies are dwindling and there is a sharp frost on the way. You must have a taste!In a 19th century half-timbered barn from Limburg the farmer is stirring the contents of a large copper pot. He is making syrup from the plentiful harvest of apples and pears - and naturally he will let you have a taste! As of this winter, the authentic brewery from Ulvenhout will also once again be fully operational. No less a person than the Dutch champion himself will be brewing the beer in a contemporary way and will talk passionately about his wonderful old craft! All kinds of things to doEvery weekend, on Wednesday afternoons and during the Christmas holidays fun activities are being held, and you can enjoy music and song in the cosy Zeeland church. There will be plenty to see and experience on the Zaan Square and children will have the chance to bake bread rolls at the children’s activity farmyard. The animals in the barn will also be very pleased to see visitors.

Visit Tropenmuseum

The Tropenmuseum is one of Europe’s leading ethnographic museums, renowned for its collection. The permanent and temporary exhibitions display (art) objects, photographs, music and film from non-western cultures.
The beautiful and historic building in which the Tropenmuseum is housed provides space for eight permanent exhibitions and an ongoing series of temporary exhibitions, including both modern and traditional visual arts and photographic work. The permanent exhibitions are Southeast Asia, Oceania, Western Asia and North Africa, Africa, Latin America, Man and Environment and Music, Dance and Theater.
The reconstruction of local environments and attractive displays of exhibits drawn from the museum's huge collections draw visitors right into the daily lives of the people of the tropics and subtropics. Exhibitions are increasingly seen as an opportunity to organize supplementary activities such as lectures, films, guided tours, music- and theatre shows, often in collaboration with other Institute departments. For some years now, the museum has been designing its exhibitions with a broad approach to both content and concept. The perspectives of different generations and different ethnic groups are represented in the exhibitions and activities. Leading public figures from the multicultural communities in the Netherlands assist in shaping and defining the museum.
Being part of the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT), the museum is more than just a museum. Experts assist museums around the world in capacity building and other activities, for example in collecting and preserving local cultural heritage. Other activities include innovative initiatives in the field of museums and of preserving and exhibiting cultural heritage. Building on earlier work by the Getty Information Institute, the museum has started a project in fourteen developing countries aimed at cataloguing and describing museum collections using a computer programme. The Tropenmuseum is part of the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT), a knowledge institute for international and intercultural collaboration. In view of its historic roots as a colonial institute and museum and given its expertise in the field of culture, cultural preservation and exchange is one of KIT’s key tasks, both domestically and internationally. The Institute carries out cultural programmes across the world, aimed at protecting cultural heritage and enhancing cultural exchange. These programmes focus on institutional and capacity building, and on advice with regard to cultural policy. In the Netherlands, the emphasis lies on contributing to the knowledge and understanding of different cultures, and on increasing public support for international and development cooperation.