September 8 – Open Monument Day

Saturday September 8 is Open Monuments Day. Museum Kaap Skil also has free entrance the entire day. An excellent opportunity not only to admire the various monuments on the museum terrain, but also to see the exhibits and participate in the many activities.

Four monuments

The museum has four national monuments

• an eelgrass shed, now used for beachcombing
• a shed, now in use as a workshop
• two grain warehouses, attached together
• grain mill The Traanroeier

The main building of the museum is modern, but has a monumental stature.

Grain mill dating back to 1727

The windmill the Traanroeier has undergone a facelift this past summer: the entire mill has been equipped with a new thatched ‘roof’. It looks magnificent! On Open Monument Day, volunteers will bake crepes with flour ground by the mill. On the ground floor, a large V-belt will attract your attention; on the first floor, you will see fuse boxes and metal constructions. These are remnants from the 1960s, when the grain mill from 1727 was converted for the production of electricity. Nowadays, it is back into its original state as grain mill. The millers like to show you how it works.

Beach finds in the eelgrass shed

The beachcombing is located in a monumental eelgrass shed. Where bales of dried eelgrass used to be piled high, you now find a shed stuffed with unusual beach finds. Beachcombers are unusual people, true buccaneers! Look at all the things they find during their pillages under the worst weather conditions.

Expositions in grain

In the two grain warehouses, various expositions are exhibited. The history of the ferry service between Texel and Den Helder can be viewed on the top floor. The exhibit ‘A 700-year old dike’ is quite surprising. Examine the cross-section of the dike, the largest archeological lacquer profile in Europe. From 11.30-15.30, the water table in the water chamber is open and the battle can be fought with the water by building the dike.

Activities in the Open-air museum

There are extra demonstrations of old crafts and storytellers in the open-air museum, especially for the Open Monument Day. The ropemakers, the smith, the baker, the model builder and the net-maker are performing their crafts. The ropemakers can use some help: can you turn the wheel? You can make your own jump rope and take it home with you. From 12 – 4 pm, there is a workshop where you can design your own Delft Blue-like tile.