All nature & natural history museums and attractions to visit in Friesland

Friesland (the Netherlands) has a lot to offer for people that like animals, plants and anything else related to nature and its history. Below we list all 14 nature and natural history museums that are located in Friesland.

Is nature and the natural world something that interests you and are you looking for the best nature museums to visit in Friesland? These are the ones:

  1. Ir. D.F. Woudagemaal1

    Ir. D.F. Woudagemaal

     Lemmer
    The Ir. DF Woudagemaal is the largest pumping station in the world that is still in operation. The pumping station is used to lower the water level in Friesland and is one of the top 100 Dutch UNESCO monuments. The machine park includes four tandem compound steam engines with large linked flywheels
  2. Aqua Zoo Friesland2

    Aqua Zoo Friesland

     Leeuwarden
    Aqua Zoo Friesland houses mainly animals that live in and around water. On display are penguins, seals, carp, windes, sea bears, red pandas and meerkats, among others. Ring-tailed lemurs roam freely among the visitors. There is also a playground for children.
  3. Schelpenmuseum Paal 143

    Schelpenmuseum Paal 14

     Schiermonnikoog
    Shell Museum Paal 14 is dedicated to the world of mollusks. More than 1,500 species of shells collected by the family itself are displayed in the museum.
  4. Natuurmuseum Fryslân4

    Natuurmuseum Fryslân

     Leeuwarden
    The Natuurmuseum Fryslân is housed in a former orphanage. The central theme of the museum is the nature of Friesland. The museum consists of four floors with animals, plants, information, assignments and experiments. Doing and experiencing are important in the museum. The collection consists of appr
  5. Natuurcentrum Ameland5

    Natuurcentrum Ameland

     Nes
    Natuurcentrum Ameland is a nature museum that illustrates the nature of Ameland. It includes a North Sea aquarium, a landscape experience with information on the flora and fauna of Ameland and a movie theater with a 360 degree view of the origins of the Wadden Sea. There is also a knowledge centre o
  6. De Noordwester6

    De Noordwester

     Vlieland
    Information center the Noordwester is dedicated to the island of Vlieland. Exhibits include a stingray tank where visitors can pet rays. Also on display are finds from the North Sea in the Jutter attic and visitors can learn about gnome life in four seasons in the Gnome Forest. In addition, there is
  7. Informatiecentrum Mar en Klif7

    Informatiecentrum Mar en Klif

     Oudemirdum
    Informatiecentrum Mar en Klif is dedicated to the landscape and nature in Southwest Friesland. The museum has various exhibitions each season. It shows, among other things, films about the region and its nature. In addition, the museum houses a replica of a badger sett, where badgers roam freely. Th
  8. Openluchtmuseum It Damshûs8

    Openluchtmuseum It Damshûs

     Nij Beets
    The Openluchtmuseum It Damshûs illustrates how the peat workers worked and lived and how ‘laagveenturf’ was made in the period 1863 to 1920. The living and working conditions were the cause of social struggle. The museum also illustrates the change in the landscape as a result of peat extraction. On
  9. Bezoekerscentrum Terp9

    Bezoekerscentrum Terp

     Hegebeintum
  10. Botanical Garden De Kruidhof10

    Botanical Garden De Kruidhof

     Buitenpost
    Botanische Tuin De Kruidhof is the largest botanical garden of the Netherlands. It features seventeen themed gardens each with their own plant collections. Themed gardens that can be visited include: medicinal herbs, cloister garden, butterfly garden, rose garden, woodland garden, fruit garden, fern
  11. Dekema State11

    Dekema State

     Jelsum
    Dekema State is a former manor house (‘state’) located on an estate with moats, an orchard with old varieties of fruit and an ornamental garden and a forest park. The house is decorated as was common around 1930, just before the Second World War. The museum illustrates life and work during that time
  12. 12

    IJstijdenmuseum

     Buitenpost
    The Ice Age Museum is located at the Kruidhof garden complex. It stands in a landscape formed from the ice ages and in which authentic and cultural-historical elements are still present. The museum focuses on the ice ages but also the cultural history of the area. The visitor experiences the hunting
  13. 13

    Dierenpark SanjesZoo

     De Westereen
    SanjesZoo zoo is a combination of a (children's) farm as a zoo. SanjesZoo is home to some forty different animal species, consisting of goats, rabbits, chickens, nose bears, camels and ostriches, among others. The park is also home to Nature Museum Bruinenberg.
  14. 14

    Natuurmuseum Bruinenberg

     De Westereen
    Nature Museum Bruinenberg illustrates the diverse nature of North Friesland. The permanent exhibition features over seventy different animals. In addition, the museum has bins with insects and it exhibits a collection of boulders and shells. There are various activities for children, including class