Visit Airborne Museum ‘Hartenstein’
Visit Airborne Museum ‘Hartenstein’
Although Museum ‘Hartenstein’ is not really located in Arnhem but in Oosterbeek, it is worth a visit when you are in town. I went to the museum on a rainy day, the perfect kind of day for a museum visit -especially a war museum. You can easily reach Oosterbeek by bus in 15 minutes, or even by foot within an hour. The museum presents itself as an unique experience and it was.
The museum
‘The museum houses the world’s largest collection of Operation Market Garden memorabilia.’ Operation Market Garden; the battle of Arnhem, took place during Second World War. Former Villa ‘Hartenstein’ used to be the headquarter of the British Airborne Division from September 1944 till the end of the war.
Nice To Know
When you are in Arnhem you can’t leave the John Frost Bridge unvisited. It is hard to imagine that this bridge was, at September 1944, the final goal of Operation Market Garden and has been called ‘a bridge too far’ many times. The bridge was named after British Lieutenant-Colonel John D. Frost. I highly recommend you to watch the movie ‘A Bridge Too Far’ before you visit the Airborne Museum.
Exhibition
The exhibition starts at the villa. Here the museum is nicely structured. You start with a movie about the beginning of Operation Market Garden. Then there is a collection of historical artefacts, which you can see in showcases. These objects and some audio fragments are telling stories about soldiers and their experiences. Although nicely and beautiful presented this part of the museum is still somewhat old fashioned. This changes completely in the cellars. There are two storylines in the cellars and each storyline has its own floor.
The cellars
At the first floor of the cellar you can see, read and hear the Second War during Market Garden through the eyes of the people who were living in and nearby Arnhem. There are objects placed in really nice showcases, inhabitants tell their stories, now and how they experienced the war when they were kids. It has a real unique and new way of presenting it.
The floor below is a 900 m2 experience room. You follow a British parachutist (which I didn’t really realized at that moment) through a route of destruction, war, disaster and excitement. This floor was absolutely beautiful!
Surroundings
When you have experienced the entire museum, we hope that the weather is nice, because the museum’s surroundings are worth a visit. There is a great garden, with unique plantation (a Davidia involucrata and a giant sequoia for instance) and a lovely park
. I highly recommend this museum, it is beautiful, vivid and the history is well presented. The museum is trilingual, whether you are Dutch or a foreigner, if you speak German, English or Dutch you can experience everything. The only side note is that entrance fee is a little pricy with €9 for an adult. See the complete price list and visiting hours below.
Airborne Museum Hartenstein
Utrechtseweg 232
6862 AZ Oosterbeek
Telephone:026 3337710
Fax:026 3391785
Email:info@airbornemuseum.nl
Website:www.airbornemuseum.nlFrom 1 November – 31 March
Monday through Saturday: 11.00 – 17.00
Sundays and public holidays: 12.00 -17.00From 1 April – 31 OctoberMonday through Saturday: 10.00 -17.00
Sundays and public holidays: 12.00 17.00On 24 and 31 December, the museum closes at 16.00. The museum is closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
Ticket prices
AdultsUp to 20 people: € 9
65+, CJP (>18), Student Card, Veteran Card: € 8
Teenagers aged 13-18: € 6
Teenagers aged 13-18 with CJP Culture Card: € 5
Children aged 6-12*: € 5
Museum Card and VVAM** members: Free* Must be under adult supervision
** Society of Friends of the Airborne Museum
From 20 persons
Adults: € 8
65+, CJP (>18), Student Card, Veteran Card: € 7
Teenagers aged 13-18/CJP aged 13-18: € 5
Children aged 6-12*: € 4
Museum Card and VVAM** members: Free
* Must be under adult supervision
** Society of Friends of the Airborne Museum
The museum houses the world’s largest collection of Operation Market Garden memorabilia.
