Polders:

The land in your hands

16 October to 3 May 2026

For centuries, people throughout the Netherlands have settled in areas where it is almost impossible to live: polders . Once swampy marshes, then under constant threat of flooding, the Zaan polders were repeatedly inundated by the turbulent Zuiderzee . Yet people have continued to live on land that is still almost underwater.

A thousand years of ditch digging
Paintings, topographic maps and unique objects tell the story of a thousand years of ditch digging and water management in the Zaan region. From 16th-century farmers to conservationists four centuries later, meet residents from the past and present and discover why not everyone shares the same interests.

Today, a picturesque backdrop of windmills, dikes and sluice gates makes the polder landscape appear like it has always been there. But is that really the case? How much effort does it still take to keep this land dry, and who is responsible for it?

This exhibition features interactive activity areas where young and old can puzzle, measure and design, discovering together the versatility of the polder.