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Dutch AttractionsCELEBRATE HOLLAND’S DUTCH HERITAGE Holland is a city that still reflects its original Dutch heritage from its founding in 1847. Visitors can catch a glimpse of old Holland by attending the Tulip Time Festival or other area attractions. Tulip Time
One of the most exciting times to visit the Holland area is in May during the Tulip Time festival. The festival was named the “Best Small Town Festival” by Reader’s Digest in 2004. During the festival, beautiful tulips can be viewed all around the city. There is also exciting entertainment including parades, shows, concerts, performances by Klompen dancers in authentic Dutch costume, a carnival, and fireworks. With events that are sure to be fun for all ages, Tulip Time is a festival that must be attended! Holland Museum The Holland Museum is located in downtown Holland. The building itself is historical as it was the former post office, which was built in 1914. The museum’s exhibits tell the story of the early Dutch settlers and the development of the city since its founding. Dutch attractions in the museum include art work, an Amsterdam dollhouse, and even exhibits from the 1939 New York World’s Fair Netherlands Pavillion. Temporary traveling exhibits also come to the Holland Museum and are showcased in the Wichers Gallery. Cappon House and Settler’s House Extensions of the Holland Museum are the Cappon House and Settler’s House Museums. The Cappon House was built in 1873 for Holland’s first mayor Isaac Cappon. The house is Italianate in style and contains most of its original furniture, making it one of the country’s largest collections of antique furniture from Grand Rapids, Michigan.Settler’s House shows visitors what the house of a working class family in Holland would have looked like. The first owner of this house, Thomas Morrissey, was an Irish Canadian immigrant who worked as a ship’s carpenter. The furnishings within the house have been provided by the Holland Museum’s collection and are from the settlement period of 1845-1880. DeKlomp Wooden Shoe & Delft FactoryAt DeKlomp Wooden Shoe & Delft Factory visitors can purchase blue and white delftware and wooden shoes. DeKlomp is actually the only blue and white delftware factory in the country. The wooden shoes made in the factory are created on carving machines imported from the Netherlands. Dutch VillageDutch Village is a recreation of a small 200-year-old Dutch town, incorporating Dutch architecture, flowering gardens, canals, and windmills. Visitors can watch historical presentations throughout the day, performed by interpreters in Dutch costume. The theme park is open in the summertime only, but the specialty shops, which provide Dutch imports and unique gifts, are open throughout the year. Veldheer Tulip GardensVeldheer’s Tulip Gardens, founded by Vernin Veldheer in 1955, is America’s largest bulb production facility and the only tulip farm in Holland. The gardens are comprised of millions of tulips, as well as lilies, peonies, and a rainbow of other flowers, and the gift shop has one of the largest selections of tulip bulbs in the country. Windmill Island “De Zwaan,” a 240-year-old working Dutch windmill, and the Posthouse museum are located on Windmill Island. Windmill Island features beautiful gardens where 150,000 tulips bloom in the spring. The site also has an antique carousel with handmade wooden horses, and an antique Amsterdam street organ. In the souvenir shops, visitors can watch candle carvers at work, enjoy some fudge, or pick up some unique gifts to remember their time in Holland.
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