While exploring around the NEMO Museum in Amsterdam, if you walk towards the back like Dann and I did, you will come across a bunch of different historical ships. This is actually Museumhaven Amsterdam – which is a museum harbor of the Amsterdam Museum Harbor Association. There are over 20 historical vessels there, covering a bunch of different boat types, all moored for people to have a look at.
The Museumhaven Amsterdam also has a bunch of different signs that give information on these various ships, which are kept in very good conditions year round. You can read these panels, learning a summary in English about why the ship was built, when it was active sailing, and what it was used for. You can also scan the AR code on the panel to listen to an audio version of the ship’s story.
The aim of these ships its to keep the hustory of Dutch inland shipping alive, keeping them restored and their stories being told so that none of them are lost. Though I am not a big history buff, I really loved the look of all of these old historical ships. There was such a difference from ship to ship, and it was neat learning about why they were that way. Dann knows far more about history than me, and could recognise some of the ships uses based on the way they looked, so we went around taking pictures and talking about the ships, as a sort of free-form walking tour.
The Museumhaven Amsterdam isn’t a ticketed museum, but instead feels like a hidden treasure, a gem that you can find if you pay attention on your walk of the area. If you are interested in history, it is well worth stopping by – but even if you just want to check out cool ships, it’s a lovely location.
You can check out our other Days Out to see what else we’ve been up too!
Beautiful boat!!! Living near the coast I get to see several boats.
visiting a spot that feels like a quiet escape is such a relief. That specific vibe makes exploring new cities feel way more personal.
That would be so amazing! I’ve always been fascinated with old boats and ships. They have such a cool vibe.
I’ve seen these boats when I went to Amsterdam and it was a wonderful experience. A must-see for sure.
I love that you got a free walking tour haha. I don’t really know much about boats / history, but this looks so cool. I really like how different they all are from each other.
Claire
A museum with boats sounds so different and I can imagine it would have been interesting. Something both my hubby and little one would like.
Watching different historical ships is a fabulous idea to explore when I visit an important museum. Thanks ffor the recommendation.
I’ve been to NEMO but I don’t remember these! Well worth a visit another time.