Madurodam is a miniature park in The Hague (Den Haag) which highlights some of the most famous landmarks and buildings in the Netherlands. It is one of the country’s premier attractions and is a great day out for all the family. Book your Madurodam tickets here
Madurodam was opened in 1952 by a then-young Princess Beatrix. It was founded by a Mrs Boon-van der Starp who was trying to raise money for the Dutch Students Sanatorium. She had been inspired by Bekonscot model village in Beaconsfield, England – the oldest model village in the world – and architect S.J. Bouma was brought in to design the Dutch miniature city at a 1:25 scale.
Its construction was funded by the parents of wartime-hero George Maduro (1916-1945) as a living memorial to their son. Today it attracts upwards of 700,000 visitors per year and continues to bring in new exhibits.
Madurodam is located just outside of the centre of the Hague, about 2km from Scheveningen beach.
The glass entrance building has a wave-like structure and is flanked by a lighthouse. Look out for the statue of the boy plugging the hole on the dike.
As well as model buildings there are a number of other attractions. Model cars, trains, planes and boats for the transport enthusiasts. There are interactive displays for all ages – like weighing yourself against Dutch cheeses, trying your hand at DJing or testing your football skills.
Indoor experiences include shows about The Court of the Netherlands, 17th century Nieuw Amsterdam (New York) and Waterwolf (how to change water into land).
You will find a number of model buildings from many Dutch cities. Those from Amsterdam include the Rijksmuseum, Dam Square, Westerkerk tower, Heineken Brewery, Maritime Museum, Royal Theatre Carré and the canal houses.
One of the most popular attractions is the mock-up of Amsterdam Schiphol airport with its moving planes (taxiing rather than flying!).
Always a hit with the younger ones is the extensive model railway with authentic Dutch Railways trains. There are mock-ups of Groningen, Utrecht Central, Rotterdam Central and Valkenburg stations.
Rotterdam is also well-represented with the Holland-America line, Euromast, the Delftse Poort skyscraper and the Erasmus bridge. You can also try your hand at moving containers by crane at the Rotterdam port area.
The Flying Dutchman is one of the latest attractions at Madurodam. The Douglas DC-3 aircraft (originally built in 1945) has been totally restored by hand. The audio-visual show inside the aircraft celebrates the 100 year history of KLM.
[If you enjoy old planes then the Aviodrome Museum in Lelystad can also be visited].
You could probably walk around in 1 hour although we would suggest taking more time to look at the intricacies and details of the models. Labelling is in both Dutch and English.
There are cafe-restaurant facilities on site, a shop and a playground area.
A visit to Madurodam is highly recommended either in its own right or as part of a day trip to The Hague. It will certainly give you a flying overview of the architecture and culture of The Netherlands.
Opening Times
Opening times vary slightly over the year. Madurodam is open daily, ranging from 1100-1700 in winter to 0900-1800 in summer.
Madurodam Tickets – Admission prices (2024)
€22.50 for adults (€24.50 at-the-door), FREE entry to children 0-2. The Museumkaart is NOT valid.
Book your Madurodam ticket and time-slot online here
Location/Getting To Madurodam Den Haag
Madurodam is in Den Haag (The Hague). From Den Haag Centraal or Den Haag HS stations take HTM tram 9 (direction: Scheveningen Noord) to the ‘Madurodam’ stop. The tram journey is about 10 minutes (from Central) and 15 mins (from HS).
Intercity trains run between Amsterdam Central and Den Haag Central. The trip takes just under 1 hour and a single costs €13.60 (2024).
If coming by car then parking at Madurodam costs €11.
You can also take a Grand Holland Tour which includes transport and entrance to Madurodam, Royal Delft Experience and Euromast Tower in Rotterdam.
Address
Madurodam, George Maduroplein 1, 2584 RZ The Hague
Last updated 23 January 2024. This article was originally published in 2022.
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