A fun and interesting day out for the whole family is guaranteed at Museum Kaap Skil in Oudeschild. The special entrance building in which the museum is housed has won a number of architectural prizes and features unique exhibitions. These include the huge scale-model of the Texel Roads, which comes to life with light and sound, and the collection of underwater archaeology. Prepare to be surprised about the extensive beachcombers collection and step inside old fishermen's huts and shops. There is plenty for children to experience here too.

The Dress

At Kaap Skil, an exhibition is entirely dedicated to the finds from a ship found by divers in 2014. This wreck has been dubbed the Palmwood wreck by the divers. The finds from the Palmwood wreck are all extraordinary, with a completely intact silk dress as the absolute highlight. A second, less well-preserved dress was also found in the wreck. Placed in an oxygen-free display case, the dresses have been given a prominent place in the exhibition so that you can admire them properly.

On a world tour

Texel played a central role in global trade in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Trade had many faces: adventure, wealth and romance, but also exploitation, danger, slavery and poverty. Off the coast of Texel lie many shipwrecks on the seabed, sunk in the days when the Reede van Texel was daily full of ships. Buried under the sand, they have been preserved. Each one tells its own story and this forms the basis of the new exhibition World Voyage. Texelaars of the past take visitors on this journey around the world.

Ship in sight

Texel was an important center for international shipping in the seventeenth century. Just off the coast, on the Reede van Texel, the merchant ships anchored alongside the war fleets and whalers. They waited for favorable winds or were supplied or unloaded. The trips went in all directions to the Far East, but also to Norway, North Africa or the Mediterranean. This time comes to life in the exhibition Schip in Zicht. You will discover stories from that time around a room-filling scale model with 160 reconstructed ships.

Entrance building

You will find the museum café on the ground floor in the museum entrance building. Tip: don't forget to taste the delicious Kaap Skil cake, with is made with VOC herbs. It's only available from the museum café.On the first floor there is a collection of archaeological treasures from the seabed. Many finds from Texel divers are exhibited here. From merchandise such as expensive porcelain plates and dishes to wooden tools and ship parts.

Outdoor area

On the outside area you will find, among others, the mill De Tear Rower, which you can also visit. The open-air museum highlights the village life of the past, where the craftsmen worked at home. Time has stood still in the authentically decorated fishermen's houses. A forge and bakery shop complete the picture of the old village of Skil. There are various exhibitions to be seen in the buildings on the outside grounds, including about fishing and the Texel ferry service. The beachcomber hangs and is packed with the most diverse beach finds. During the year, temporary exhibitions are held in various buildings on the site, which are linked to the sea.

More on history and museums on Texel