GeoFort

About the museum

GeoFort is located in Fort bij de Nieuwe Steeg near Herwijnen, a fortress from 1878 that belongs to the New Dutch Waterline. This line of defence flooded stretches of land to protect the economically important west of the country and is now part of the UNESCO World Heritage. The fort island of just over three and a half hectares, with ramparts, casemates and bunkers, lost its military role and became a place for visitors.

In 2005 Willemijn Simon van Leeuwen and Bart Bennis founded GeoFort here and turned the old fort into a science centre about the future of the Earth. At its centre are the themes of climate change, the energy transition, water management and big data. The museum has received, among other awards, the Europa Nostra Award and has repeatedly been honoured as a particularly child-friendly museum.

Visitors explore the island indoors and outdoors: with an elevator to the centre of the Earth, a climate maze, an earthquake room, interactive games and numerous puzzle tours. There are also Minecraft workshops, historical tours of the fort and a pancake restaurant on the island.

Highlights

• Expedition Earth: elevator ride to the centre of the Earth
• Climate maze and climate race outdoors
• Earthquake room in which a tower has to withstand the quake
• Minecraft puzzle hunt, workshops and VR
• Historic fort with bunkers, casemates and Sunday tour

Permanent exhibitions

• Toekomstmuseum – Interactive stations indoors and outdoors on climate, energy and water, such as the climate maze, earthquake room, energy wheel and Expedition Earth.
• Vleermuis Experience – In the dark coach house, visitors experience how bats orient themselves with their ears; open from April to October.
• Historisches Fort Nieuwe Steeg – Tour of the fort island with the HistoTour booklet and app, including bunkers and casemates.

Founded

2005

Operated by

Stichting GeoFort

Admission & discounts

Prices apply to online purchase; at the ticket desk each ticket costs €2 more. Free with Museumkaart (without reservation); vouchers and the VIP card of the VriendenLoterij (25% discount on a maximum of two tickets) can only be redeemed at the ticket desk. Professional companions (not parents or carers) of people with disabilities receive free admission. The bat play garden (Speurtuin) is freely accessible.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• 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

In the Museum of the Future, about five indoor stations are reasonably accessible (thresholds, uneven surfaces, narrow passages); the outdoor stations are on hilly, uneven terrain. The upper floor of the barracks can only be reached by stairs. The restaurant WereldPan is wheelchair accessible with suitable sanitary facilities. Two disabled parking spaces at the access road. Dogs are only allowed on a leash on the restaurant terrace; assistance dogs are allowed in the museum.

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

The target group is children aged about 4 to 12 (according to the museum, suitable for ages 4 to 104). The stations are marked with age recommendations from 3 or 4 years; there are puzzle tours, a water playground, the climate maze and free climbing and play areas. Children's parties at the museum, in a Minecraft and a VR version.

Getting there & parking

Address: Nieuwe Steeg 74b, 4171 KG Herwijnen.

Amenities & dining

• Restaurant

Pancake restaurant “De WereldPan” with terrace on the fort island, open 10:30 am–6:30 pm on museum days; lunch reservations possible 11 am–4 pm.

Events & venue rental

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

Indoor and outdoor spaces for conferences, corporate events, team building, family celebrations, weddings and children's parties.

Plan your visit