The lack of museum status is the main reason for the province to close the money tap for the Drenthe attraction Het Veenpark. The Drenthe attraction is currently run by the family business Veenpark (led by the Keuter family). The agreement according to the province was that the Veenpark had to operate completely independently at the latest at the end of 2024 within an independent foundation. But that is not yet the case.
Park director Harrie Keuter indicated at the end of last year that this was partly outside his power: the Museum Association (the national organization that assesses requests) stopped the registrations for a period of six months because of internal hassle. Keuter expected the museum title to be in by the end of 2025.
This recognition means that the park can also count on municipal and provincial subsidies in the future. With that money, the park could continue to develop with professional forces with regard to the museum course.
The province says it has been discussing this for a year with the management and supervisory board of the park. These conversations have not yielded any concrete agreements that guarantee a sustainable future of the park, according to the province.
But now the future of the Veenpark is uncertain. The province of Drenthe is on the road from the Open Air Museum: more than 120,000 euros in subsidy must be repaid. The province has to make an official decision about this. That happens before summer. The Veenpark then has six weeks to repay the amount.
Although the province indicates that it has no indications of fraud, improper management or financial ignorance, it is concerned about the financial position of the park. In an earlier letter it was already reported that extension of the advance for the second half of the year was “no longer responsible”.
When asked whether there are any activities that do not fit within the agreed course, the province says it only has a view of the components for which a subsidy has been granted. “We see no details there,” said a spokesperson.