Autumn Holiday at the Maritime Museum Rotterdam

Get creative with colour!

All ages
Every day during opening hours

Have fun with our colouring sheet. Choose your favourite colours and give it your own style. Turn it into a colourful work of art!

Ground floor, entrance hall

Climb aboard an offshore platform

Recommended age: 8+ years
Every day during opening hours

Discover how energy is generated at sea and put your skills to the test. Land a helicopter, hoist a container and find the perfect spot for a wind turbine.

Halfdeck, Offshore Experience

Make your own wind indicator

Recommended age: 4–12 years
Every day from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm

The wind blows in all directions! Design your own wind vane or windsock and discover where the wind is coming from and how strong it is. Just like on ships, where wind instruments are essential for safe navigation.

Deck 1, De Brug

Listen to real maritime stories

Recommended age: 4–9 years
Monday to Saturday at 11:30 am, 1:30 pm and 3:00 pm

Take a seat in our museum library and listen to maritime stories from the children’s books available in our museum shop.

Deck 1, Library

Set off with Mees and Aunt Jane

Recommended age: 7–12 years
Every day during opening hours

Hop on the virtual metro and discover all about Rotterdam, the port and the people who live there. Listen to the kids’ audio tour and explore ‘Destination Port City’. Don’t forget to bring your phone and headphones.

Deck 1, Destination Port City

How is a ship built?

Recommended age: 8+ years
Every day during opening hours

Discover how shipbuilding has changed over the years. Roll up your sleeves and find out what it takes to get a ship ready to launch!

Deck 2, Launch!

Speed across the water

Recommended age: 7–12 years
Every day from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm

How does a sailing boat move forward? Discover how wind power works and how ships use the wind to move through the water.

Museum ship Geertruida

Can you tie the right knot?

Recommended age: 7–12 years
Every day from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm

Discover all the things you can do with rope! When the rope maker is on board, you can make your own rope. Throw it around a bollard and learn useful knots and hitches. Extra useful when wind and rain call for strong lines.

Step aboard the Annigje

Recommended age: 2–12 years
Every day from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm

Step back in time aboard this ship, which is more than 100 years old. Have a look around and discover how skippers and their families used to live and work.

Museum ship Annigje

Scrub the deck

Recommended age: 7–12 years
Every day from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm

Get ready like a real sailor! Mop the deck until it shines and discover how important this daily task used to be on board.

Museum ship Simson

The blacksmith at work

Recommended age: 7–12 years
Every day from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm

See up close how the blacksmith helps maintain our fleet. When the blacksmith is working, there is often a spectacular demonstration to watch.

Leuvepaviljoen, Blacksmith’s workshop

See our Stadsgraanzuiger 19 and the historic harbour from the water! Along the way, the skipper of the electric boat will tell you the story of the area and show you some of its highlights.

Weather permitting, and when the skipper is available, the boat makes several trips each day.

Enjoy fresh coffee, delicious cakes, light lunch dishes and tasty hot meals at Het Lage Licht museum café. A welcoming place where visitors and passers-by come together, and where culture and hospitality go hand in hand.

Take a look around the museum shop and find an original maritime gift or a special memento of your visit. With a surprising range of products, there’s something for visitors of all ages.

Do I need a ticket and time slot for Plons!?
Yes. You need a valid admission ticket and a time slot for Plons! You can book your time slot when you purchase your ticket online.

What is there to do during the autumn half-term?
There’s plenty to see and do at the Maritime Museum every day during the autumn half-term. Climb aboard an offshore platform, make your own wind vane, listen to maritime stories and discover how ships are built. In the museum harbour, you can make rope, scrub the deck, step aboard historic ships and much more.

What ages are the activities suitable for?
The activities are suitable for different age groups. The recommended age is listed for each activity. There are activities for young children from the age of 2, as well as activities for children aged 8 and over.

Do I need to book activities in advance?
Reservations are only required for Plons! You can book your time slot when you purchase your ticket online. All other activities are open to the public with an admission ticket.

Are the activities indoors or outdoors?
There are activities both indoors and outdoors. Activities take place in the museum, in the museum harbour and on the quayside. Please keep the weather in mind when planning outdoor activities.

Can I get something to eat or drink during my visit?
Absolutely. At Het Lage Licht museum café, you can enjoy fresh coffee, cakes, lunch dishes and hot meals. The museum shop is also open, where you can find a maritime gift or a special memento of your visit.