Zaans Museum

The Zaans Museum is a local museum near Zaandam documenting the industrial and craft history of this Dutch region. It spreads across multiple buildings with exhibits about production techniques, regional development, and everyday objects from past centuries.

The museum was established at the end of the 20th century and later expanded its collections to include exhibits on food industry history. An important art acquisition was added when the museum obtained a painting by a French artist depicting the same region.

The museum displays how people in the Zaan region worked and lived, with recreated workshops showing weaving and cooperage at work. You see here how traditional crafts shaped daily routines for families across generations.

The museum sits within the open-air museum Zaanse Schans and is easily reached on foot or by bicycle. It opens daily, and visitors can purchase tickets online to avoid waiting in line.

The museum houses an extensive collection documenting weapons manufacturing at a former arms facility in the region. This often-overlooked collection reveals a lesser-known side of industrial history that goes beyond traditional craft techniques.