Cruquius Museum

Current exhibitions

About the museum

The Haarlemmermeer, a lake formed by merging peat diggings and nicknamed the “Waterwolf” because of the land it swallowed, threatened Amsterdam and Leiden in the 19th century. In 1836 King William I decided to drain it and, instead of windmills, relied on the then-new power of steam. From 1840 a ring canal and ring dike were built, followed by three pumping stations named after hydraulic engineers: Leeghwater, Lijnden and Cruquius – the last named after the surveyor and meteorologist Nicolaus Cruquius. De Cruquius went into operation in 1849, and by 1852 the lake had been pumped dry.

Unlike the other two stations, De Cruquius was never modernized; from 1912 it served only as a reserve and was decommissioned in 1932/33. When demolition loomed, the Koninklijk Instituut van Ingenieurs campaigned for its preservation, and the building became a museum. Its centerpiece is the original beam steam engine, considered the largest steam engine in the world; since 2002 a hydraulic system has set it in motion again for demonstrations.

In 2009 the Vereniging Hendrick de Keyser acquired the neo-Gothic building, a Rijksmonument (national monument), and restored it by 2011. It is operated by the Stichting Haarlemmermeermuseum De Cruquius, which preserves the heritage of the municipality of Haarlemmermeer with around 225 volunteers. In 2020 the displays in the pumping station were renewed, and in 2025 the Polderpaviljoen by Braaksma & Roos Architecten opened next door. It tells the roughly 2,000-year history of land, water and air in the Haarlemmermeer and the lives of the pioneers in the new polder.

Highlights

• Beam steam engine from 1849 – the largest steam engine in the world, with demonstration
• Neo-Gothic pumping station on the Ringvaart, a Rijksmonument
• Polderpaviljoen with the exhibition on the history of the Haarlemmermeer
• Theatrical living history tour every Sunday
• Stoomlab for children and escape game in the pumping station

Permanent exhibitions

• Haarlemmermeer: Het onmogelijke mogelijk gemaakt – Exhibition in the Polderpaviljoen with big and small stories from the Haarlemmermeer, from the fight against the water to the lives of the pioneers in the new polder.
• Gemaal De Cruquius – Redesigned in 2020, the pumping station with its demonstrated steam engine tells the story of the draining of the Haarlemmermeer between 1840 and 1852.

Founded

1933

Operated by

Stichting Haarlemmermeermuseum De Cruquius (Eigentümer des Gebäudes: Vereniging Hendrick de Keyser)

Director

Elise van Melis

Admission & discounts

Adults €17.50 at the ticket desk, €16 online; one ticket is valid for the pumping station and the Polderpaviljoen. Free with the Museumkaart (only available online, not at the ticket desk); also free with the VriendenLoterij VIP card, ICOM and as a supporter of Meer-Historie. Escape game at no extra charge on top of admission. Special opening €150 per hour.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Polderpaviljoen step-free, with an automatic sliding door and an elevator to the Theehuis. In the pumping station, two platform lifts (up to 225 kg) take visitors, with the help of volunteers, to the second floor and into the engine hall; the outer walkway around the engine hall is not wheelchair-accessible. Wheelchair and rollator available on loan. Accessible restrooms in both buildings. One accessible parking space at the Theehuis, two in the parking lot behind the pavilion. Benches in both buildings.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations

Scavenger hunts for children aged 4 to 12 in the pumping station or pavilion; at the end, a code opens the treasure chest. In the Stoomlab, children aged 7 to 12 experiment with model steam engines (30-minute sessions on selected days, especially during the holidays). The Sunday living history tour is explicitly designed for families. Family ticket online.

Getting there & parking

About 15 minutes from Haarlem and Hoofddorp, 20–25 minutes from Amsterdam; from Hoofddorp take the N201 to the Cruquius traffic circle. The museum has its own boat landing (15 m) on the Ringvaart; reserve through the office, small donation toward maintenance.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Wi-Fi

Theehuis Cruquius (independently run) with coffee, cake, lunch and a terrace on the Ringvaart, reachable directly from the museum; reservations +31 23 528 6946. Free Wi-Fi in the museum.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

Up to 75 guests.

Auditorium in the Polderpaviljoen overlooking the pumping station for 8 to 75 people (divisible, equipment available, catering by the Theehuis); front room of the Witte Boerderij in Hoofddorp for up to 10 people. Wedding photos possible in the engine hall.

Plan your visit