Mill museum “The Zaansche Molen

Learn all about the invention and history of wind power here….
In the Mill Museum of Association ‘De Zaansche Molen’, the history of wind power comes to life and the magic of windmills is revealed! Experience centuries-old stories here and discover the significance of the mills as valuable world-class Dutch heritage: the story spans more than four centuries of history of the Zaans industrial mills.
Be amazed by the interactive model, showing more than 1,000 mills from the Zaan region, as you are taken on a fascinating journey through time, from the glory days of trade and wealth to the harsh realities of labor and social development. Admire the largest mill painting in the world: the mill panorama by Frans Mars, which is 11 meters wide and gives a vivid picture of the mills in East Zaandam around 1800. Frans Mars was a painter and educator; he founded Vereniging ‘De Zaansche Molen’ in 1925 to preserve mill heritage for the future.
There is much to see in the “World of Windmills”: a marvel of technology and ingenuity that made the Zaan region the first industrial area in the world

Above right and below in the photos is a ‘broker’ like the one on top of Wood Sawmill ‘De Gekroonde Poelenburg’; when the mill was wrong on the wind it would whistle through the cut slots in the wood and warn the miller

You can enjoy changing exhibitions and films here, and from the top floor you have a beautiful panoramic view of the polder and its many mills, after which you can still enjoy a cup of coffee…