Zuivelfabriek Freia, Dairy factory in Netherlands Open Air Museum, Arnhem, Netherlands
Zuivelfabriek Freia is a dairy factory at the Netherlands Open Air Museum in Arnhem, fitted with original steam engines and production equipment from 1908. The building displays the machinery and workspaces where cheese and butter were manufactured using methods of that time.
The factory started operating in 1879 in Friesland and was the first dairy factory built in the Netherlands. It was relocated to the Open Air Museum in 1991 where it remains on display today.
The building reflects how Dutch dairy production changed when factories replaced small-scale farming methods. Visitors can see the shift from manual work to machine-based processes that defined this era.
Visitors can watch demonstrations of how cheese and butter were made using the original equipment and learn about quality control methods from that period. Comfortable shoes are recommended since the museum requires walking between different buildings and outdoor areas.
The chimney was shortened to 17 meters to stay below the tree line at the museum instead of its original height. This adjustment shows how the museum adapts historic buildings to fit within their natural surroundings.
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