Museum Engelandvaarders
Museum in a Second World War bunker near Noordwijk about the Engelandvaarders, who fled the occupied country to England to fight against Nazi Germany.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The museum tells the story of the Engelandvaarders, men and women who escaped from the occupied Netherlands to England during the Second World War in order to join the Allied forces. More than 2,000 Dutch people reached England; hundreds set out in barely seaworthy boats, others took arduous overland routes through Belgium, France, Spain and Portugal, some even via Russia. Many died during their escape or were arrested.
The museum is housed in a former ammunition bunker of the Noordwijk coastal battery from the Second World War. During the Cold War, art treasures of the Museum Volkenkunde were stored there; from 2004 until October 2014 the same bunker housed the Atlantikwall Museum Noordwijk, which then moved into larger rooms in the same bunker complex.
The museum opened in 2015. Among the initiators were the Engelandvaarder Eddy Jonker and Jos Teunissen of Erfgoed Leidschendam; the project was supported by, among others, the Nationaal Comité 4 en 5 mei, the NIOD, the Nederlands Instituut voor Militaire Historie and the Nationaal Archief. The background is the Genootschap Engelandvaarders, founded in 1969, which maintained contact among those affected and was dissolved in 2018. Today the museum shows a collection, audiovisual material and personal stories, offers a digital memorial with accounts from Engelandvaarders and their helpers, and also sees itself as a knowledge centre.
Highlights
- Exhibition in an ammunition bunker of the Noordwijk battery
- Personal stories and escape routes of the Engelandvaarders
- Digital memorial with accounts from refugees and helpers
- Escape game on a tablet for families and school classes
- Free audio tour in Dutch, English and German
Permanent exhibition
- Dauerausstellung Museum Engelandvaarders – Collection, audiovisual material and personal accounts of the escape routes of the Engelandvaarders, plus a digital memorial and an escape game.
- Founded
- 2015
- Operated by
- Stichting Museum Engelandvaarders
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €10 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | €5.50free up to age 6 · Young people aged 7 to 12 pay €5.50; children up to and including 6 years free. |
| Groups (10+ people) | –Groups of 10 or more without a guided tour must register; guided tour for 1–25 people €40 plus admission, by reservation only (request at least 2 weeks in advance). |
| Tablet for the escape game | €2maximum 6 people per tablet |
Free admission with the Museumkaart, Veteranenpas, Vriendenloterij VIP-Kaart and for Friends of the Museum. The audio tour is included in the admission price.
Accessibility
- 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
The museum is on one level and fully wheelchair accessible, with a large accessible toilet. Dogs are otherwise not allowed, but assistance dogs are.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 6 |
|---|
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Hands-on stations
- Kids’ birthday parties
Escape game on a tablet for families and classes, plus a Morse code station. Children's birthday parties are possible at the museum.
Getting there & parking
By car
Paid parking
There is ample paid parking around the museum (payment by card or app); for a longer stay in Noordwijk, the Wantveld car park with inexpensive day tickets is a good option.
Noordwijk is a seaside resort; on sunny days and during events the car parks are often full. The museum is located on the ANWB cycling route Engelandvaarders (start Leiden Centraal or Sassenheim).
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Wi-Fi
Free Wi-Fi in the museum.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes (NL, EN, DE) |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | The audio tour runs on your own smartphone. Guided tours for 1–25 people by reservation only; school programme mainly for years 7/8 of primary school and the lower years of secondary school, partly in the bunker. |
