Wrakkenmuseum Terschelling

Explore a museum filled with hundreds of shipwrecked objects. Sip a drink at the terrace and let the kids play on the pirate ship.

The Frisian Island of Terschelling lies just off the shore of the Netherlands. The island is known to the locals for its shipwrecks and the Wrakkenmuseum (Wreck Museum) collects all of those remains in one place to see. The Wrakkenmuseum has salvaged hundreds of artifacts from over 150 shipwrecks over the years. Some of the things you’ll see here date back all the way to the 17th century...

• Don’t expect to see a usual museum building. Wrakkenmuseum Terschelling is located inside a former 19th century farmhouse. You’ll find the terrace and kids playground in the courtyard. Wrakkenmuseum is kid-friendly with plenty of things for the children to do. The kids playground is complete with a pirate ship and fort to really keep the theme going.
• What kind of things are salvaged from the shipwrecks near Terschelling? Wrakkenmuseum holds many items. Some of the highlights here include a pair of glasses made from crystal originally owned by a Russian tsar, military artifacts from various battles, diving equipment, and much more. Wrakkenmuseum has a little bit of everything. It’s pretty surprising what kind of things end up in the sea!
• This whole place feels like it’s just washed up from the shore. You can see the wear and tear of the sea with each item. You’ll see some unusual things as well, like a wall of salvaged shoes, boxes of cigarettes, and unreadable messages in glass bottles.
• Wrakkenmuseum Terschelling is indeed a hidden gem, relatively unknown to the tourist crowd thanks to its off the beaten track location on the Frisian Island. You’ll have to catch the ferry from Harlingen on the mainland or the neighbouring island of Vlieland to get to it, but it’s worth it to begin an exploration of one of the forgotten islands of the Netherlands.