Museum De Peelstreek

About the museum

Museum De Peelstreek in Ysselsteyn began as a private initiative. The couple Jan and Dien Houben spent years assembling a large collection of everyday objects, clothing, machines and hand tools from their grandparents' era. In 1996 it became a museum, now run by the Stiftung Museum de Peelstreek on a volunteer basis, with volunteers whom the board itself trained as guides.

The museum tells the story of life in the Peel region, the former bog landscape between Brabant and Limburg: peat cutting, land reclamation, paths through the bog, old borders and border disputes, up to the founding of the village of Ysselsteyn in 1921. These themes are brought to life through paintings by the artist Hein van Well and a modern presentation. The collection includes tools of the peat cutter, farm butcher, shoemaker, clog maker, village blacksmith, carpenter, wheelwright and baker, as well as a fire engine from 1870, a Ford Model T from 1919 and carriages.

The museum also has a satellite site, the Ròwkoelehof, a freely accessible barn with large farm machines such as threshing machines and winnowers. Both sites lie on the roughly six-kilometer Ysselsteyn Museum Route, which also runs through the Rouwkuilen nature area. The private museum De Smid, which was also named on the route in the past, no longer exists.

Highlights

• Paintings by Hein van Well of rural life
• Stuffed head of the draft stallion Nico van Melo
• Tools of the peat cutter, blacksmith, clog maker, wheelwright and baker
• Fire engine from 1870 and Ford Model T from 1919
• Ròwkoelehof satellite site with large farm machines

Permanent exhibition

• Het leven in de Peel – Agricultural equipment, household items, hand tools and vehicles show life in the Peel region; paintings by Hein van Well and a presentation tell of peat cutting, land reclamation and the founding of Ysselsteyn.

Founded

1996

Operated by

Stichting Museum de Peelstreek

Admission & discounts

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide

For primary school classes there is a search rally: the children look for specific objects and answer questions about them. According to the museum, the stuffed animals particularly impress children.

Getting there & parking

The museum is on Ysselsteynseweg, not far from the village square Lovinckplein, the starting point of the roughly 6 km Ysselsteyn Museum Route (hiking trail via the Ròwkoelehof through the Rouwkuilen nature area).

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