Openluchtmuseum Ellert en Brammert

About the museum

The impetus came from the centenary celebrations of the village of Schoonoord in 1954. For the anniversary, residents – including people who had once lived in such dwellings themselves – re-created a few plaggenhutten (sod huts): simple shelters made of heath sods and straw in which local peat and farm laborers once lived. Interest in the huts was so great that they were left standing permanently and became the foundation of an open-air museum. The Stichting De Zeven Marken has run the museum since 1956.

Over the following decades, further buildings were added that together form a route from the most primitive dwelling to increasingly modern ways of living: a tollhouse, a village school, a café farmstead, a smithy, a Saxon hall house with an exhibition, a jail, a carpenter's workshop, a sawmill, a print shop and, later, a small church and a smallholding (Keuterij). A new building in the form of an almshouse hosts annually changing exhibitions by regional artists.

The museum owes its name to the legendary giants Ellert and Brammert, who according to tradition wreaked havoc in the area; their figures greet visitors at the entrance, and the grounds feature a replica of their cave and a reconstructed hunebed (megalithic tomb). The museum receives no government subsidies and is largely run by volunteers; today its focus is on preservation, demonstrations and events.

Highlights

• Re-created sod huts, the museum's starting point
• Giant figures of Ellert and Brammert at the entrance and a replica of their cave
• Historic print shop, smithy and sawmill, some with demonstrations by volunteers
• Old village school where volunteers read aloud the legend of the giants
• Oude Drentse Boerenherberg (old Drenthe farm inn) with terrace, plus a petting zoo and a large playground

Permanent exhibitions

• Geologische en Archeologische expositie – Exhibition on the geology and archaeology of the region in the wagon shed of the Saxon hall house.

Founded

1954

Operated by

Stichting De Zeven Marken

Admission & discounts

Free parking. Dogs on a leash are admitted free. Online tickets through the Eventree ticket shop. No information is given on whether the Museumkaart is valid.

Accessibility

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

According to the prices page, only partially wheelchair-accessible, as not all of the little houses can be entered; other pages describe the grounds as wheelchair-friendly or fully accessible. Accessible restrooms available; loaner wheelchairs at the ticket desk (please reserve). Dogs are allowed on a leash.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Playground / play area
• Kids’ birthday parties

Large playground and petting zoo, puzzle trail, printing in the historic print shop, working with wool and old-fashioned school lessons. Children's birthday parties with an activity €8.50 per child, with a kids' meal at the Herberg €17.

Getting there & parking

On the N376 between Assen and Emmen/Coevorden: coming from the north, turn right at the entrance to Schoonoord; coming from the south, turn left almost at the end of the village.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant
• Museum shop

Oude Drentse Boerenherberg in the café farmstead, with a terrace by the playground (snacks, lunch, and a Drenthe-style coffee spread or buffet for groups by reservation). Souvenir shop "'T Winkeltie" and an old-fashioned candy store in the Armenhuus (almshouse). Picnic tables throughout the grounds.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

Family celebrations, birthdays and company outings with a coffee spread or buffet in the Boerenherberg by reservation; weddings can be held in the small church on the grounds.

Plan your visit