Stoomgemaal Winschoten
Historic screw pumping station from 1876 in Winschoten with its preserved steam engine, now a free-admission museum of technology.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Water mills once stood on the site of today's museum, draining the lower-lying land. A thunderstorm destroyed both; one mill could be repaired, while the other was replaced by a steam plant to be less dependent on the weather. A second steam engine was added in 1895, and the age of mills ended here. In 1929 the older engine was replaced by an electric motor, which could be switched on immediately, whereas the steam plant had to be fired up a week in advance.
The pumping station was decommissioned in 1971 because a new one took over its tasks. Afterwards the last engineer and his son kept the machinery in good condition. The building and machinery have been protected as a listed monument since 1978. In 1983 the Foundation for the Preservation of Groningen Steam Engines was established; it restored the pumping station to its 1929 state over five years and has run it as a museum ever since. In 2025 volunteers refurbished the entire complex once again.
The technology is what makes it special: the station works with two screw pumps (Archimedean screws), even though almost all Dutch pumping stations were later converted to centrifugal pumps. A horizontal two-cylinder tandem compound steam engine from 1895 with 175 horsepower and a Lancashire boiler from 1935 drive the large screw, while a 120-horsepower electric machine from 1929 drives the smaller one. Of the roughly 120 steam pumping stations once found in the province of Groningen, this is the only one preserved; only nine remain nationwide. The museum also displays miniature steam engines.
Highlights
- The only surviving steam pumping station in the province of Groningen
- Steam engine from 1895 and Lancashire boiler from 1935
- Two screw pumps from the age of the mills
- Miniature steam engines in the museum
- Free admission, volunteers give guided tours and explanations
Permanent exhibitions
- Dampfmaschine und Kessel – A horizontal tandem compound steam engine from 1895 and a Lancashire boiler from 1935 show how water used to be pumped out of the land using wood fires.
- Schneckenpumpen und Elektromotor – Two Archimedean screws, powered by steam and by an electric motor from 1929, explain the history of drainage in the Reiderland.
- Miniaturdampfmaschinen – Small steam engines complement the large installation in the museum and deepen the theme of steam power.
- Operated by
- Stichting tot Behoud van Groninger Stoomwerktuigen
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Admission is free.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
- Corporate events
- Weddings / ceremonies
A small and a large hall for meetings and events, catering on request (no alcohol); the pumping station is also a wedding venue of the municipality of Oldambt.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Volunteers are present during opening hours and explain the museum. Groups are welcomed by arrangement with coffee or tea and pastries. For primary schools there is a teaching booklet about the boy Wrom; there is a cooperation with technical schools. |
