SPAR-museum
Small museum in a former SPAR shop in Leiderdorp, with old shop equipment, a sweets corner and a miniature street of shops from the past.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The house on the Hoofdstraat in Leiderdorp has a history as a grocery store: in 1936 Will's father opened one of the early SPAR branches here, first as a village shop with counter service, later as a small self-service supermarket. When the shop could no longer survive against the large supermarkets in 2003, the last owners, Will and Marianne van Gessel, converted the business into a museum; they still live above the rooms today. It is considered the only SPAR museum in Europe and is run by volunteers.
On display is a collection of historical shop equipment, including the development of the shop scale and the cash register. A reconstructed sweets corner offers around 70 kinds of candy, which, as in the past, are weighed into a bag and paid for at an old cash register. Wall panels show the history of the SPAR organization with photos of store buildings, trucks, products and packaging.
The centerpiece is a street scene built by Will van Gessel at a scale of 1:25, with 25 old shops from the Doeskwartier in Leiderdorp; showcases show shopping through the centuries, from the medieval market to the modern SPAR supermarket. Since 2017 the exhibition has been smaller and changes periodically. On Fridays the museum also serves as a "Kijk- en Afhaalpunt" (viewing and pickup point), where organic vegetable boxes are collected.
Highlights
- Only SPAR museum in Europe, in the former 1936 SPAR shop
- Miniature street with 25 old shops of the Doeskwartier at 1:25 scale
- Reconstructed sweets corner with around 70 kinds of candy
- Historical shop scales and cash registers
- Showcases "Shopping Through the Centuries"
Permanent exhibitions
- Straßenbild Doeskwartier im Maßstab 1:25 – True-to-scale replicas of 25 former shops from the Doeskwartier in Leiderdorp; the display changes with the seasons.
- Einkaufen durch die Jahrhunderte – Five showcases show scenes from the medieval market to the modern SPAR supermarket.
- Founded
- 2003
Admission & discounts
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Accessibility
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Kids & families
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Getting there & parking
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Amenities & dining
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Events & venue rental
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