May holidays at the museum
It's spring, the sun is coming out and the school holidays are starting. Time to go out!
April 28th to May 12th - Adventure awaits in the May holidays!
Our exhibitions are open for exploration, and the museum harbor is bustling with activity once again. The ships are open for visits, and we're getting everything shipshape: decks are being swabbed, and engines are being revved up. Along the quay and in the workshops, our staff and volunteers are engaging in demonstrations of maritime crafts.
What will you discover?
Have you ever steered a boat yourself? During the May holidays, you can learn the ropes, but with model boats.
The Model Boat Association "de Wielewaal" crafts their model boats after real ships. This allows you to experience what it's like to steer a real ship.
Where: At the quay in the museum harbor
When: Tuesday, April 30th to Friday, May 3rd
Times: Continuous, during our opening hours
Cost: Free with a valid admission ticket
Ever wanted to make your own cuddly toy?
This holiday, you can craft your own fantasy underwater creature cuddly toy. The staff at Studio Maki will assist you in using the right materials and techniques to create your very own masterpiece.
Where: Entrance Hall
When: Tuesday, May 7th
Time: 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Cost: Free with a valid admission ticket
Professor Plons and his friends are embarking on a world journey. After 33 years of hosting his own children's interactive exhibition here at the museum, the professor is also retiring.
It's time to bid them farewell and make room for a new exhibition. While Professor Plons sets off on his long journey, he'll continue his research in various fields. Fortunately, his friends are accompanying him.
Will you come to wave them off?
Where: Museum Harbor
When: Wednesday, May 8th
Time: 2:00 PM
Cost: Free with a valid admission ticket
Sailing over the seas, you can imagine what happens beneath the water's surface.
What kind of creatures swim and live there? Are they animals you already know or are there many more creatures? Think about whether they have color, give off light, are transparent, large, or very small.
Let your imagination soar and paint your own underwater creature!
Where: At the quay in the museum harbor
When: Thursday 9th and Friday 10th of May
Times: 12:00-16:00 hrs
Costs: Free with a valid entrance ticket
We're diving into the deep sea this vacation. During this workshop with SKVR, you'll learn how to create your own stop-motion film.
In this stop-motion workshop, you'll map out the sea and the creatures that live there. In your own animated film, others will travel with you, across the horizon. Join the adventure with Professor Plons. Discover the magical underwater world with him. Find shipwreck pieces, underwater creatures, or lost whales. Everything comes to life during this workshop.
Stop-motion is a film technique used to create special effects in movies. The technique is almost as old as filming itself and was one of the primary special effects techniques in the film industry before the advent of digital animation.
Where: Entrance Hall
When: Wednesday, May 1st and 8th
Times: 12:00-16:00 hrs
Costs: Free with a valid entrance ticket
Color your own underwater world and win a boat tour on our historic ships this summer.
Professor Plons sets off on a journey with his submarine and sees all sorts of things below the water's surface – special fish and other strange animals you haven't encountered yet. Color them in and win a boat tour on the Nieuwe Maas this summer.
Where: Entrance Hall
When: every day during the May vacation from April 28th to May 12th
Times: During our opening hours
Costs: Free with a valid entrance ticket
View the terms and conditions for participation here (Dutch).
During the May vacation, storytelling sessions will be held twice a day in the museum's library.
Here you will find a large and old collection of maritime books and magazines. There are also books for children, and during the holiday, stories will be read from them.
Where: Museum Library
When: Monday, April 29th, Tuesday, April 30th, Thursday, May 2nd, Saturday, May 4th, and from Monday, May 6th to Saturday, May 11th
Age: 4 to 9 years
Times: 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM
Cost: Free with a valid entrance ticket
"The Weight of Water" is an exciting, poetic dance/circus performance on the water. It portrays a pursuit of power, but also demonstrates dependency – on each other, and on larger uncontrollable elements.
Where: Maritime Museum Harbor
When: May 3rd, 4th, and 5th
Times: 3:30 PM on May 3rd and 4th. 1:00 PM on May 5th.
Cost: An additional ticket is required
And more beauty on the quay
Stroll along the quay this holiday and listen to the free audio tour by Wilfried de Jong, who will guide you through the history of this special place. Feeling peckish? Grab a delicious ice cream at Loeve, take a look at our workshops, and drop by Port Pavillion, where you'll get to know the current port and everything it has to offer.
Would you like to enjoy Rotterdam from the water in between all the activities? Then a boat trip with our electric whisper boat Waterbus is a good idea. The cruise takes about 45 minutes and along the way the helmsman will tell you all about the history of the city.
The blacksmith works every day during the May holidays. Sometimes the blacksmith forges parts for our collection and sometimes a beautiful object, which you will later see in our museum shop. Take a look because occasionally the blacksmith also gives demonstrations.
Children (8+) can embark on a special audio tour through the exhibition Destination Port City. Together with Mees and Aunt Jane, they board a virtual subway and learn more about the city, the harbor, and the people who live there. Perhaps you'll recognize some places? Put on your headphones and embark on the journey!
Scan the QR code at the entrance of the exhibition to start your adventure.
Open every day
During the May holidays we are also open on Mondays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Order your ticket now