What started in 1938 at the Rotterdam Marine Barracks and the Marine Corps laid the foundation for today’s Marine Museum. You won’t find much of the first collection in the museum, because the bombardment of the Germans in May 1940 destroyed almost al those objects.
The opening of the Marine Museum in May 1980 was in a former distillery called Hulstkamp, located on the North Island. Since 1995, the museum found his home on the Wijnhaven, historical objects and stories about the marines come to life here.
The Marine Museum is located at a location where the marines performed heroic deeds. With the Maas River as a silent witness and on the site of the Willemsbrug, the marines defended the north bank around the Maas bridges over eighty years ago to defend themself against the German soldiers. On this spot, they fought hard.
Marines Museum Rotterdam
Marines are committed to defending the land, mainly by water. In the museum, you can learn more through the stories and the objects. In the museum library, you can find a lot of information about the history of the war days and the role of the marines on the Nieuwe Maas and the old Maas bridges. For their efforts, the marines are rewarded with the Military Willimsorde. For young people, there is a lot to do in the toughest museum in the Netherlands. Shooting skills can be practised with a shooting game where you fight against pirates. The museum also has a pirate boat. By ‘sailing’ in a pirate ship, the young visitor imagines himself to be a ‘pirate’ for a moment. The exhibition ‘Anti-Piracy Missions in Somalia’ teaches what contemporary piracy means and how marines fight against piracy.
In the museum visitors can also learn a lot about the different medals and children can make their own. Those who want to go on a mission can do so via ‘Expeditie Speurneus’. Fans of the Harley Davidson will be delighted, because an FLH-1200 engine, from the Marine Patrol on the Netherlands Antilles, has been included in the collection since last year. The museum is full of other sights and is worth a visit for the robust visitor.
From the Marine Museum to the Oude haven
If you’ve seen all three floors and experienced the interactive parts, you will be thirsty. Next to the museum is the Oude haven, Old Harbour, which despite its name, is not the oldest harbour in Rotterdam. Along with the Oude Haven, there are several lovely places where you can have a drink and of course something to eat. If you walk from the marine museum to the Oude Haven, you will pass the famous yellow Cube Houses. Did you know that there is a museum house where you can have a look inside?
The real oldest port of Rotterdam is the Steigersgracht. This harbour is a few minutes walk from the Oude Haven, just to let you know.
