Rick Steves Called These Three Unique Dutch Museums 'A Treat For All Five Senses'

Travel expert, guidebook writer, and beloved TV show host Rick Steves has plenty of great suggestions for visiting museums, often citing the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam as great places to start. Voted as the most walkable city in Europe, you won't leave the city's art and cultural scene behind even if you head outside its boundaries for a day of exploration. As you navigate the Dutch terrain, you'll find an entirely different but equally fascinating kind of museum. Known as open-air folk museums, these provide an engaging and interactive experience to help you learn about the history of the Netherlands. 

On his website, Rick Steves' Europe, the travel expert encourages travelers to visit three of these fascinating museums: the Enkhuizen Zuiderzee Museum, The Dutch Open Air Museum, and the Zaanse Schans Open-Air Museum. One of the wonderful things about a Dutch vacation is that nothing is ever too far away. While you'll certainly need more time to explore everything that these unique museums have to offer, you could technically see all three of Steves' recommendations in a single day. If you aren't making any other stops, you could drive between the locations in just about three hours.

If you want to learn more about Dutch life in the past, there is no better destination than the Zuiderzee Museum. This fascinating living history museum is located in Enkhuizen, which Rick Steves has dubbed one of the best day trips from Amsterdam. It recreates life in a tiny fishing village in 1905. The cobblestone streets and old buildings are original, while costumed actors and tradesmen recreate the lives of the people who once lived and worked here more than a century ago. Embrace the experience and explore this village. 

While the Zuiderzee Museum resembles a real village with its inhabitants going about their day, it's all for educational purposes. So, you should feel free to wander into the "homes" within the museum, too. It's not mandatory, but you can book tickets in advance to save a little money. At the time of writing, a day pass costs the equivalent of a little over $20.

If you're excited about experiencing a glimpse of the Netherlands as it once was, you might want to combine your trip to this open-air folk museum with some more hands-on historical experiences. The Zuiderzee Museum is only a little over an hour from Amsterdam by train. However, Steves recommends a charming, kitschy, and educational alternative: a steam train and old-fashioned boat ride booked through Museumstoomtram. This route, known as the Historic Triangle, costs a little over $30 at the time of writing.

The Netherlands Openlucht Museum, also known as the Dutch Open Air Museum, in Arnhem, is the original open-air folk museum in the Netherlands. At over 100 acres, it remains the largest. Rather than perfectly replicating a single time and place, this incredible museum lets you walk through two centuries of Dutch history. You'll be able to see and explore historical buildings and settings, from farm buildings and homes to pall-mall courts and chapels. 

On his website, Rick Steves suggests eating delicious Dutch pancakes and visiting the village square to play with 19th-century toys. He notes that it's worth climbing the stairs to the top of the park's windmill to enjoy the view of the museum from above. But most importantly, be sure to check out the replicas of working-class homes in this region, as seen throughout history.

Don't eat before you go. Whether you're in the mood for pancakes or not, there are plenty of places to eat within the museum, including a cute ice cream parlor and a classic brewery. You can even get a coffee here (but don't be disappointed; we're talking about actual coffee, not the coffee shops of Amsterdam). At the time of writing, the cost to visit is between $20 and $30, depending on whether it's a weekday or a weekend. You can take public transportation to the museum from Amsterdam, but it'll take you around 1 hour and forty minutes and involve a transfer.

If you're visiting the Netherlands, you'll probably see windmills. One of the best places to learn to truly appreciate them may be at the open-air folk museum Zaanse Schans, just outside Amsterdam. All you need to do is hop on a train at Amsterdam Central Station, get out at Zaandijk Zaanse Schans station, and then walk about 15 minutes to the museum. This unique place recreates life on the Zaan River in the 1600s but in a less structured way than other open-air folk museums.

Steves states on his website that this site is less of a cohesive museum with a single-day pass fee and more like a variety of related attractions that you have to pay for. He described it as: "... crassly commercial...you'll be nickel-and-dimed for your cultural education." Despite the extra expenses, the admission prices are worth it to see the pretty windmills along the water. You'll also have the opportunity to see how some traditional Dutch products are made, from cheese to clogs. 

While this museum is a little less cohesive, you can plan your trip using the interactive map on Zaanse Schans' website. Timing is important here since it's a tremendously popular area. If you don't plan your trip efficiently, you may have to compete with tourists for the best attractions. According to Steves, your best bet is actually to come later in the day when other day trippers are already heading back to Amsterdam.