Luchtvaart- & Oorlogsmuseum Texel

About the museum

The museum is located at De Vlijt airfield near De Cocksdorp in the north of Texel. The idea for it arose after the celebrations for the 50th anniversary of the airfield in 1987, when around 15,000 people visited an exhibition in the airfield hall. A foundation was established for this purpose in 1988. When the gliding club needed new premises in 1995, a museum could be set up in the old gliding hangar; it opened its doors for the first time on 17 May 1996.

Later the exhibition grew beyond the original rooms: a new hall was added in 2003 and a large conservatory in 2011. Today the museum, run mainly by volunteers, presents two large thematic areas. One covers aviation on Texel, from the naval air station De Mok (1917) and the De Vlijt airfield (1937) to the links with KLM.

The other area is devoted to the Second World War on the island. At its centre is the uprising of Georgian soldiers in German service in April 1945, which made Texel the "last battlefield of Europe". Other topics are the Atlantic Wall with around 550 bunkers on the island, the air war over Texel and the comparatively quiet years of occupation. Opposite the museum is a bunker in which a 3D audio tour brings the events of the days of the uprising to life.

Highlights

• Exhibition on the Georgian Uprising of 1945
• The Atlantic Wall and bunkers on Texel
• The air war over Texel
• Aviation history: De Mok, De Vlijt and KLM
• 3D audio tour in the De Vlijt bunker (in Dutch, German, English)
• Cockpit of a Lockheed Super Constellation

Permanent exhibitions

• Texel und der Krieg – The Atlantic Wall, the air war over Texel, the quiet years of occupation and the uprising of Georgian soldiers in April 1945.
• Texel und die Luftfahrt – From the naval air station De Mok (1917) and the De Vlijt airfield (1937) to scheduled KLM flights.

Founded

1996

Operated by

Stichting Luchtvaart- & Oorlogsmuseum Texel

Admission & discounts

Tickets only at the ticket desk, no reservation necessary for individual visitors. The Museumkaart and the VriendenLoterij card are not valid.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• 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 Texel tourism portal, accessible for all age groups and by wheelchair. Dogs are not allowed inside; assistance dogs are.

Kids & families

• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide

For school classes there are puzzle trails on the Second World War, the Georgian Uprising and aviation history. The bunker audio tour is only for ages 13 and over.

Getting there & parking

The museum is located at De Vlijt airfield (Texel International Airport) near De Cocksdorp; the bunker for the audio tour is opposite the museum.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit