About the National Prison Museum
The National Prison Museum is located in the only remaining unfree asylum of the Colonies of Benevolence. The 1823 building is one of the few tangible reminders from the time of the Colonies of Benevolence – declared UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021 – in the village of Veenhuizen. The National Prison Museum tells stories about the consequences of deviant behavior, often caused by personal or social circumstances.
The museum tells both the story of 400 years of criminal punishment in the Netherlands and the intertwined story of Veenhuizen from Colony Village to Prison Village. These stories will make you think differently about (your own) freedom. At the National Prison Museum, we aim to pique your curiosity and make you think about past and present issues and invite you to form your own opinion.
About Veenhuizen
Veenhuizen is a unique village with a rich history. Established in 1823 as an unfree colony, it was the largest of the Colonies of Benevolence. Families, orphans, beggars and vagrants stayed here under 24-hour guard. They were sent by the many local departments of the Colonies of Benevolence from dozens of larger towns in the Netherlands. Veenhuizen was designed to shape behavior and exert control over the people who were sent there. This history is still visible in the landscape and architecture around the village. Walk around and see if you can discover the hidden stories behind the landscape!
After the modern welfare state came along, with unemployment benefits and health care for all, fighting poverty with the system of agricultural colonies was no longer necessary. After 1953, no new colonists were sent to Veenhuizen. And the institutions were gradually put to use as prisons. Until 1983, Veenhuizen was a closed-off, self-sufficient prison village. Only people who worked in the prisons were allowed to live there. To this day, the prisons are an integral part of Veenhuizen.
Veenhuizen is located in a beautiful landscape, next to the nature reserve Fochterloërveen. The area is perfect for hiking and biking. Visit the tourist info next to the museum for more tips.
For kids
For children, there is plenty to do and discover in and around the Prison Museum! Do you want to handcuff someone, hide in an old prison cell, or experience what a modern prison cell feels like? Board the Boevenbus (bandit bus) for a ride through Veenhuizen or discover the infamous former penitentiary De Rode Pannen. There is a prison-themed playground in the courtyard, and we offer extra activities during school vacations.
Audio tour
Currently, the museum texts are written in Dutch. English-speaking visitors can experience the museum through a free audio tour. In this tour, historical figures offer their own perspective on custodial sentences. They will guide you through the museum in an informative and playful manner.
Audio journey through The Pauper’s Paradise
Experience Veenhuizen’s landscape and history with this unique theatrical listening tour. Writer Suzanna Jansen, known for the best-seller The Paupers’ Paradise, takes you through the former colony and prison village’s extraordinary history. She will show the history that lies hidden beneath the present landscape.
This impressive journey through time will take you along Veenhuizen, making history almost tangible through the narration, readings, short scenes and music.
Discover the many layers of Veenhuizen’s past and enjoy the vast nature, the striking monuments and the endless horizons along the way.
You can complete this route of approximately 16 km at your own pace. You should allow around half a day for the cycling or car tour and a whole day if you opt to complete it on foot.
Practical information
Duration
The audio tour covers approximately 16 kilometers and can be completed on foot, by bicycle, or partially by car.
Along the route, you’ll encounter 16 listening points. Please note: some listening points can only be reached on foot.
If you choose to walk, the tour takes around 5.5 hours without breaks. We recommend that walkers plan for a full day and start between 10:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. If you’re going by bike or car, we advise starting before 12:00 p.m.
Cost
You can pick up the audio tour at the Prison Museum for €7.50 per person.
This includes the rental of an audio guide, an information booklet, and a route map.
A €25.00 deposit is required per reservation.
Tips
For the best listening experience, we recommend bringing your own headphones or earbuds.
No bike? No problem!
You can rent one at Hotel and Restaurant Bitter & Zoet, located just 500 meters from the museum. You can reserve a bike online or contact Bitter & Zoet directly.
Please make sure to return by 4:30 p.m. to return the audio guide and receive your deposit.
The booklet and route map are yours to keep — a great way to revisit this special experience at home.
Penitentiary De Rode Pannen
What does a real prison look like from the inside? You’ll find out in De Rode Pannen (red roof tiles), a former penitentiary next to the Prison Museum. Go inside the cells and take a look at the solitary confinement and the exercise yard. Guided tours of the Rode Pannen are offered daily. For English-speaking visitors, we offer a translation of the tour. Book your tickets online or at the counter.
Ride the Boevenbus
Hop on the Boevenbus (bandit bus) for a tour through the village of Veenhuizen and past its historic buildings and active prisons. A bus like this was used to transport prisoners to their work. Our guides will tell you all about the history of this unique village. For English-speaking visitors, we offer a translation of the tour. Book your tickets online or at the counter.
Restaurant
Stop by the museum restaurant for lunch with delicious sandwiches and salads; coffee with pastries; or a delicious local beer from Veenhuizen-based brewery Maallust. Enjoy the sunshine on our terrace while the kids can play in the prison-themed playground across. Just passing by? The restaurant and courtyard are accessible without a museum ticket.
Stay at the Prison Museum
Would you like to spend the night in the Prison Museum and sleep in a unique location? At the Prison Museum, you can! Don’t worry, we won’t lock you in a cell with just bread and water. Stay in one of the five former guard houses that have been converted into modern, comfortable cottages. There are houses for two, four and six people. Want to know more? Go to www.vakantieveenhuizen.nl.
Prices and opening hours
- Adults (age 13 +): €14.00
- Children (age 5-12): €7,50
- Children (age 4 and under): free admission
- Museumkaart: free admission
- Vriendenloterij VIP-KAART: free admission
- CJP: €12,50
Add-ons
- Boevenbus tour: €4,00 per person.
- Penitentiary De Rode Pannen tour: €3,00 per person.
Book your tickets here or at the museum counter.
The museum is open Tuesday – Sunday from 10.00 to 17.00. During school vacations, the museum is also open on Mondays.