Museum Engelandvaarders

A journey with freedom as its goal

How far would you go for freedom? During the Second World War, men and women known as the Engelandvaarders left the occupied Netherlands to join the Allied struggle. Some risked the North Sea in small boats or even a canoe. Others took long, uncertain routes over land. England was their destination, but reaching it was far from guaranteed.

Museum Engelandvaarders introduces the people behind these journeys. Personal accounts, collection displays and audiovisual presentations reveal their motives, choices and dangers. The museum’s setting in a former ammunition bunker makes this history particularly tangible.

Discover, take part and reflect

The visit goes beyond looking and listening. In the tablet-based Escape Game, you join a resistance group helping an Engelandvaarder reach his destination. A Morse-code device introduces wartime communication.

These activities invite visitors of different ages to consider courage, resistance and the meaning of freedom. They also provide a starting point for a family conversation: what would you have done?

Combine history, flowers and the coast

A visit to Museum Engelandvaarders adds a historical perspective to a stay in the flower region. Combine it with Keukenhof or a drive through the surrounding countryside during the tulip season, then leave time for a beach walk or lunch in Noordwijk.

Plan the museum around its opening hours and allow enough time for both visits. The Keukenhof opening-hours guide and tulip-fields guide can help you organise your day.

Opening hours

Open on Easter Monday and Whit Monday. Closed on New Year’s Day, Easter Sunday, Whit Sunday and 25–26 December. On 5, 24 and 31 December, the museum closes at 15:00.

Tickets and audiotour

Buy tickets at the museum. Admission includes a Dutch, English or German audiotour on your smartphone; free Wi-Fi is available.

Visitor information →

Where is Museum Engelandvaarders?

Address: Bosweg 15, 2202 NX Noordwijk aan Zee. The museum occupies a former ammunition bunker in the coastal dunes. Use the full museum name and address when arranging a taxi or private transfer, since there are several bunker sites in the area.

Paid parking is available nearby, including Parking Wantveld. The museum notes that parking can be paid by card or mobile app. Allow extra arrival time on sunny beach days and during local events.

The nearby Atlantikwall Museum Noordwijk explores the coastal defences themselves. The two museums complement each other: one tells the stories of people escaping occupied territory, while the other explains the military structures around them. Each has its own opening arrangements and ticket.

Toilets, Wi-Fi and accessibility

Bring a charged smartphone and earphones for the audiotour. If you prefer to explore without a phone, ask the welcome team how best to follow the exhibition. For a visit with several different access needs, discuss your plans with the museum in advance.

How long does a visit take?

As a planning guide, allow one to one and a half hours for a first visit. Give yourself longer if you want to follow the personal accounts in depth or play the Escape Game. This is our suggested allowance rather than a fixed tour duration.

For a relaxed half-day, begin with the museum and continue with a walk along the coast and lunch in Noordwijk. If you want to visit both wartime museums, check the Atlantikwall calendar first because it opens on fewer days. Leave time between them for the walk and a break.

When combining the coast with Keukenhof, account for the transfer as well as time inside both attractions. A morning in the gardens and a late museum visit can feel rushed if you also want to listen to the full audiotour.

Visiting with children and teenagers

The museum suits families who want to talk about history through individual experiences. Our suggestion is to focus on one escape story together, discussing the choices the person faced before moving on. The wartime subject can raise difficult questions, so follow your child’s interest and pace.

The Escape Game uses a tablet to put visitors in the role of a resistance group. You help an Engelandvaarder along a dangerous journey, including preparing false identity papers. It gives families a shared task alongside the exhibition. Tablet hire is currently €2.00 for up to six players.

The museum’s school programme mainly addresses older primary-school pupils and younger secondary-school students. For younger children, a shorter visit with an adult explaining selected stories may be more suitable than trying to follow every display.

Groups and guided visits

Reserve ahead for a party of 10 or more visitors, even without a guide. Groups of up to 25 people can be accommodated. A guided tour currently costs €40.00 in addition to admission; send the request at least two weeks before the intended visit.

The group enquiry form also allows you to request coffee or tea and ask about combining the visit with the Atlantikwall Museum. When travelling by coach, agree the arrival and collection arrangements as part of the booking.

Contact the museum about a group visit or guided tour