Still looking for a nice outing for the May holidays? Then visit the Marine Museum in Den Helder and learn all about life on and in the sea. You also take over the crew of a ship yourself and keep a cool head while dodging missiles. Wim Severins is a volunteer at the museum and tells you what you really shouldn’t miss.
In the Navy Museum walk through the history of the Royal Netherlands Navy. See uniforms, weapons and learn more about the naval heroes of the past. Here you climb aboard the museum ships, look through the periscope of the submarine Tuna and discover more about the life of the crew.
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Wim himself served 33 years in the Royal Navy and now works as a volunteer at the museum. “It is very valuable to be able to tell from my own work. I was a machinist and did all sorts of things in education at the navy. I’ve been a volunteer for four years and I absolutely love it. Here I learned a lot more about the rich history of the navy. My enthusiasm is apparently contagious: my daughter now also works as a volunteer!”
The Tuna
What you really shouldn’t miss in the museum, according to Wim, is the submarine, the Tuna. “Of course it immediately catches the eye. You can already see it on the road to Texel. The boat has been in use for twenty-five years and is now on dry land with us. It has been completely preserved in its original state and has torpedo tubes protruding from it. You climb on board through a hatch and you can even climb into one of the beds. People who have sailed with it themselves will also tell about this. Everyone really likes that,” says Wim. In addition to the submarine, there are many more museum ships to view, such as a minesweeper, a ramship and more.
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Defend against missiles
In the museum there are also all kinds of activities that you can do. For example, Wim recommends the Experience Cold Storm On. “It takes place on one of our ships. You go back in time to the Cold War. You and your group take over the crew and everyone has their own position on the ship. Imagine: missiles are coming at you, what do you do? How do you defend against that? In practice, we have often been on the edge, so this is a nice simulation,” says Wim.
Crafting, searching and theatre
There is also a lot to do for the youngest at the marine museum. Wim: “During the May holidays you can build a boat in the children’s workshop. You can also try the naval ship Zr. Ms. Rotterdam from LEGO, or your own fantasy ship of course.”
Visit the Marine Museum
Fancy a super fun and educational day for the whole family? There is much more to do. This way you can do a treasure hunt throughout the museum and pick up a present in the shop at the end. In addition, as a visitor during the holidays you can watch the theater performance Geheime Dieptes for free. In this exciting performance, you follow sailor Bakker who is going to work as a cook on board a submarine. Read all about the activities on the website and come by!