Zeeuws Museum

At a glance, you would not expect the Zeeuws Museum to be home to such a relevant treasure trove, but that just goes to show that looks can be deceiving.

Commonly listed as the Netherland’s third best museum, the ZM does not disappoint. The ground floor houses a restaurant and café, museum shop, info/ticket desk and amenities (toilets, lockers), as well as a small area where you can watch a seven-minute short film called Passanten (Passers-by).

The first floor is entirely dedicated to fashion and the reimagining of several objects from the museum’s storage by artist collective Das Leben am Haverkamp. They followed a specific concept for this, but we’ll let you discover that for yourself, because as always, our pieces are spoiler-free.

The last room on this floor contains an interactive workshop. It is fun for all ages if you like being hands-on and creative.

The second floor is reserved for temporary exhibits, so best check the website to see what’s in before you go.

The history of Zeeland is reserved for the third floor, and that’s where it gets interesting for ‘punk affectionados, especially fans of the clockpunk genre.

Aside from a hall full of handwoven tapisteries depicting the Eighty Years’ War, or the Dutch War for Independence, which was mostly nautical, they have rooms full of art, costumes and various small items from the 1500s and 1600s. Many the kind that give clockpunks serious home decor envy.

The home decor envy, however, really strikes on the fourth and top floor, aptly named Wonderkamer. They didn’t turn the whole floor into a clockpunk-themed Wunderkammer. Instead they build three different ones in large wooden containers. And there are so many clockpunk, steampunk and dieselpunk elements in there you will literally not know where to look first.

The Zeeuws Museum surprises young and old. Its combo of modernism and local history is magnificent. The staff are super friendly, helpful and knowlegable about the pieces. There are tons of freely available pamphlets throughout that you are welcome to take, so you can find out more or put together your own museum guide at home.

And to top it off, the museum is also very family-friendly, having organized a veritable scavenger hunt for kids so they will enjoy their visit as much as adults in a way that is both fun and educational.