History museums in Drenthe

The Memorial centre Westerbork transit camp is dedicated to the history of 'Polizeiliches Durchgangslager Westerbork'. The museum commemorates the lives of a hundred thousand Dutch Jews. There are several objects on display and the original walls of the barracks and various films are shown. Old road

The Drents Museum is housed in an old building from 1885. The museum originally opened in 1854 and is one of the oldest museums in the Netherlands. A large collection on the prehistory of Drenthe is on display. In addition, the museum displays bog bodies such as the ‘Yde girl’ and owns a collection

The Gevangenismuseum is housed in a former ‘Dwanggesticht’ from the 19th century. In an interactive way, the visitor learns about how criminals were treated in the Netherlands from 1600 to the present. In addition, the museum covers the history of Veenhuizen as a prison town. Important in the museum

The Hunebedcentrum is dedicated to dolmens and Funnel beakers, the builders of the dolmens. The tombs were built some five thousand years ago. 52 of the 54 dolmens in the Netherlands are found in the province of Drenthe. The museum shows how Funnel beakers lived five centuries ago. Visitors can also

Veenpark has an arcreage of 160 hectares, which makes it the largest museum in the Netherlands. This open-air museum is dedicated to the digging of the brown gold, peat. The peat history of Drenthe comes to life in this museum. The visitor travels through nostalgic villages and a bog area with peat

Openluchtmuseum Ellert en Brammert is dedicated to the history of Southeast Drenthe. The museum illustrates how the people worked and lived in the area by showing different types of housing. The collection of the museum includes a turf hut, a tollbooth, a school, a Saxon farmhouse and a prison.

Go 200 years back in time and experience the story of Johannes van den Bosch and the first settlers who found a new future in the Free Colonies of Weldadigheid. At this unique historical site, you will follow in the footsteps of the first paupers and experience their unforgettable story through a un

Old agricultural machinery of the brand and dealership McCormick-Deering / International Harvester / Farmall (IHC), including tractors, plows, mowers. Attention to the Marshall Plan and its role in the post-war development of agricultural mechanization in the region. Also peat-colonial agricultural

Museum farm De Karstenhoeve dates from the first half of the 17th century and is still largely in its original state. In the farm you can taste the atmosphere of the daily life of the residents from the 19th century. Among other things, there is an upstairs room with a States Bible, a cabinet in the

Museum Havezate Mensinge dates back to 1381 and is one of the few authentically furnished havezates in Drenthe. A havezate is the home of the owner of an estate. In the museum, all rooms are accessible and give an impression of former life and living in a Drenthe manor.

The Stedelijk Museum Coevorden is housed in the Arsenal of Coevorden. The museum illustrates the story of the fortified town of Coevorden from the time in which the first viscount lived to the present. Coevorden was captured destroyed and rebuilt several times in its history. The museum features a c

Cultuurhistorisch streek- en handkarren museum De Wemme organizes a new exhibition each year that is related to the social cultural development of the Netherlands. The museum annually organises new exhibitions on sculptures in the orchard. The exhibition area houses a restoration workshop and a forg

Molenmuseum De Wachter is a windmill from 1851 that served as an oil mill. Today the mill still produces linseed oil from flaxseed. The mill is also used as a mill for spices and grain is milled for the bakery that is housed in the mill. In addition, there is a steam locomotive and a steam tractor.

Museummolen Jan Pol is a mill from 1820. The mill houses exhibitions on the history of the mill Jan Pol and the villages Dalen, Dalerpeel, Wachtum and Stieltjeskanaal. At the ‘meelzolder’ prehistoric grinding stones and old types of grains and weighing flour are on display. There are also finds from

Drukkerijmuseum Meppel tells a dynamic story of communication. The museum displays various objects, materials and facts. The story begins in a prehistoric cave where the first signs of prehistoric men are covered which consisted of scratches in stone, paintings in caves and visual language. The muse

The Industrieel Smalspoor Museum is located on a site of six hectares, next to the Dommerkanaal. Historical machines and locomotives are on display here. The visitor can make a trip through the forest with a narrow gauge railway train. This route was used for the transport of peat to the peat plants

Archeologisch Centrum West Drenthe is located in the only ‘schultebehuizing’ in Drenthe from 1604 that is still partly in its original condition. It is the archaeological centre of the Netherlands. Photo collages and various objects illustrate life of the first inhabitants, the reindeer hunters and

Foundation Museum Ergens in Nederland 1939 - 1945 is a collection of World War II militaria, which has been on display at the museum in Emmen since March 28, 2015. The militaria collection, built up from the 1980s, contains thousands of items related to World War II and made up to 1945. On display

Museum Inn De Ar displays a private collection spanning 50 years. Among other things, the museum displays a Drentsche room with bedsteads and peat stove, a Groningen grocery store, a Gelderland interior, a South Holland cheese factory anno 1800, a men's hair salon and old children's toys. The museum

Village Museum The Vault is housed in the former freezer vault built in 1958. The building used to consist of 120 freezer cells. The museum organizes exhibitions about old businesses that have already disappeared, such as a bakery, repair shop, blacksmith, barber and shoemaker. In one part of the mu

Oudheidkamer Beilen exhibits a historical collection of paintings, furniture, jewellery and other objects from Beilen that date back from the period 1800-1950. The paintings include works by Egbert van Drielst, Alphonse Stengelin and Reinhart Dozy. In addition the museum exhibits Chinese porcelain,

Peat and Vivianne Miedema are both are important to Hoogeveen. The average inhabitant of the place will tell about them with pride. And it is therefore with due pride that both subjects are told about in De Verhalenwerf. Twice a year there are changing exhibitions in De Verhalenwerf that are tied t

Collectie Brands is the collection that Jans Brands collected since his childhood. The museum is housed in the farm of the Brands family. The collection consists of approximately 70,000 objects, of which 30,000 are books. Additionally the collection includes coins, cards, various slides, jewellery,

The Stoottroepen Museum is a museum dedicated to the history of the ‘stoottroepen’ – soldiers of the Dutch Army – which started after the Second World War. The ‘stoottroepen’ were not only present in the Second World War, but also in the Dutch East Indies, New Guinea and the former Yugoslavia. In ad

The Krubenhuus Pasar station is housed in the former tram station of Frederiksoord. In the museum, visitors enter the world of the colonial period in Indonesia. The museum includes teak furniture and various gift items. The exhibited collection changes regularly. It also features a woodland garden a

The Nostalgic Children's and Dolls' Carriage Museum (Nostalgische Kinder- en Poppenwagenmuseum) displays a collection of baby carriages, doll carriages and other toys of yesteryear.