An inflatable crocodile and beach chairs are not things you expect in a museum. Yet you can find them this summer holiday in the Tylers Museum in Haarlem, because they are immersed in summer atmospheres. In addition, you can visit areas where you are normally not allowed and there are plenty of activities for children.
“We celebrate the summer in the museum,” says director Marc de Beyer. We therefore have a lot of activities to do and you can look into areas that you normally cannot enter.”
Centuries old
One such room is the library, where it smells of old parchment and thousands of centuries-old books are piled up to the high ceiling in cupboards.
“But what is also special”, continues De Beyer, “is the observatory where they used to look at the sky with telescopes. That is really special and you can’t normally come at all.”
It Tylers Museum is for science and art and was founded in 1784. Many of the measuring instruments that were then used in science can be found in the museum.
Children
Of course there is also a lot to do for children next summer. For example, on Tuesdays they can learn to draw hands and there are demonstrations of the replica of the large Electrifying Machine.
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But perhaps the highlight is making your own volcano. Brother Gabriel and sister Milou are in Haarlem with grandparents for a day and are both busy making their own volcano.
They don’t mind tinkering indoors with this nice weather. “I can always play outside,” explains Gabriel. “And yesterday I already went to the booth. I think it’s fun and interesting to make this volcano here.”
Abundance of sun
The fact that it is now summer and perhaps too sunny to visit a museum does not bother museum director Marc de Beyer. “We are also in a summer mood here. I would just visit a museum right now. The sun has shone abundantly lately, now it’s time for something fun,” he laughs.
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