A low, quiet building sits on the harbour dike of Delfzijl, in the far north of the Netherlands. Inside, MuzeeAquarium Delfzijl tells a long story in a small space: how people, land, and sea live together on this piece of Wadden coast.
In December 2025 the museum stands open every day, showing rocks, shells, ship models, and live fish from the nearby sea. Just a few minutes away by train or bus lies the town of Appingedam, so the museum feels close even though it sits on the edge of the country.
Key Takeaways
A small museum with a big horizon
MuzeeAquarium Delfzijl is a compact museum and sea aquarium on the harbour dike, where the town almost touches the sea.
Fifty centuries in one visit
The museum tells about roughly fifty centuries of life on the border between land and sea, from early stone graves to a modern port.
Nature, history, and live animals together
Galleries show geology, fossils, archaeology, shells, and ship models, and a sea aquarium in a former wartime bunker holds fish and other animals from the Wadden Sea and the North Sea.
Easy to reach from Appingedam
Appingedam lies about four kilometres away, with short train and bus rides of around six to seven minutes between the two towns.
Clear opening hours and simple prices
In December 2025 the museum opens every day from 10:00 to 17:00 in Delfzijl and 10:00 to 17:00 in the rest of the Netherlands, with modest ticket prices and a family ticket for two adults and two children.
Story & Details
A museum built into the dike
MuzeeAquarium Delfzijl stands just behind the sea dike, close to the harbour and the wide water of the Ems estuary. From the outside it looks modest: low walls, simple roofs, the sea just beyond. Inside, the story stretches much further. The museum explains that it shows “fifty centuries living and working on the border of land and sea”, so each room adds another piece to that long timeline.
From deep Earth to flat northern fields
The natural history section starts under the ground. Displays of rocks and minerals show how the inside of the Earth might look. Some stones glow softly under ultraviolet light, turning one corner into a small, bright cave. Fossils and layers of soil explain how ice, wind, and water slowly shaped the northern Dutch landscape. Visitors learn that the flat clay fields around Delfzijl and Appingedam did not simply appear, but grew over very long periods as sea and rivers moved in and out.
Archaeology and the northern hunebed
A few steps away, archaeology brings humans into the frame. One part of the story centres on the northernmost hunebed, a prehistoric stone grave made from large boulders. It marks some of the first farming communities that settled on this coast. Other objects, models, and photos show raised dwelling mounds, the growth of Delfzijl as a fortified town, and the many small changes that turned a defensive spot on the water into an industrial port.
Shells from near and far
Shells are one of the museum’s great prides. Long glass cases hold small shells that anyone might pick up on a Dutch beach, alongside larger and stranger shapes from warmer seas. At the heart of the collection stands a baptism shell about one metre across and weighing around two hundred kilograms, once used as a font in church. Standing beside it, visitors feel how powerful the sea can be, and how far some of these objects have travelled to end up in this quiet building on the dike.
Ships, sails, and port life
Another gallery tells the story of shipping and fishing. In the Wagenborgzaal a large case holds twenty-four detailed ship models. Touchscreens let visitors tap through short texts and images about navigation at sea, the work of pilots, the local nautical school, shipbuilding, and the engines that once drove many of these vessels. Together, the models and stories show how closely the history of Delfzijl is tied to ships, cargo, and the changing sea.
A tiny Dutch mini-lesson in the name
The museum’s name offers a small Dutch lesson. The word “zee” means “sea” in Dutch. The word “museum” is the same in Dutch and English. “Aquarium” also looks almost the same in both languages. Put together, “MuzeeAquarium” simply says “sea museum and aquarium in Delfzijl”. With those three short words, visitors gain a key that helps them read many other Dutch signs along this coast.
Tidal flats outside, a bunker aquarium inside
Beyond the galleries, a heavy door leads into a Second World War ammunition bunker. This thick concrete space now holds the sea aquarium. The rooms are cool and dim, lit by the tanks themselves. Rays, small sharks, wrasses, lobsters, sea bass, and other fish from the Wadden Sea and the North Sea swim in blue-green light. The sound of pumps and moving water replaces the noise of the harbour outside.
Just beyond the dike, the Wadden Sea is famous for its tidal flats. At high tide these wide, flat areas lie under shallow water. At low tide the sea pulls back and reveals long plains of wet sand and mud. They are soft, often crossed by small channels, and full of worms, shellfish, crabs, and other life. Birds come to feed there when the water is low. The aquarium and displays help visitors link these changing flats to the animals they see behind the glass.
A family-friendly place, indoors and compact
Regional guides often describe MuzeeAquarium as a good outing for families and school groups. The building is fully indoors and not very large, so walks between rooms stay short. Labels on the walls are brief and clear, and many are in both Dutch and English. Children can press buttons on screens, build small stone collections, and peer into tanks without long stairways or dark tunnels. Because there are live animals, dogs are not allowed inside, apart from official assistance dogs.
Opening hours, prices, and group visits
In December 2025 the museum opens every day, Monday through Sunday, from 10:00 to 17:00 in Delfzijl and 10:00 to 17:00 in the rest of the Netherlands. It is closed on New Year’s Day, King’s Day, both Pentecost days, both Christmas days, and on 31 December. Standard tickets cost nine euros for adults from eighteen years, five euros for children from four to seventeen years, and one euro for children aged two and three. Children up to one year enter free. A family ticket for two adults and two children costs twenty-two euros. Holders of the national Museum Card can visit without paying extra at the entrance.
For groups of at least ten adults, the entrance price drops to eight euros per person. Groups of at least five children pay four euros per child. A special package from ten people upwards costs twelve euros and fifty cents per person and includes entrance, a guided tour, and coffee or tea with a biscuit. Public contact details list the address as Zeebadweg 7, 9933 AV Delfzijl, with a telephone number and email address for bookings and questions.
From Appingedam to the sea in minutes
Appingedam, a small town known for its hanging kitchens over the water, lies about four kilometres from Delfzijl. Travel sites describe a simple link between the two. A regional train run by Arriva Nederlands usually leaves about once an hour, takes around six minutes, and costs roughly two to three euros for a one-way ticket. Buses run by Qbuzz also connect Appingedam and Delfzijl, with journeys of about seven minutes and similar prices. One general notice on these sites warns that transport is affected by the war in Ukraine, but the local train and bus remain easy options between the two towns.
From Delfzijl station, visitors can walk through the town and up to the sea dike in just a few minutes, reaching the museum without using a car. Regional tourism pages often mention MuzeeAquarium as a way to learn about the Wadden Sea while staying dry and warm.
A short film as a window into the museum
A Dutch cultural platform called MuseumTV offers a short film titled “De collectie van MuzeeAquarium Delfzijl”. The video moves quickly through the geology displays, the shell collection, the ship models, and the bunker aquarium. In under a minute it gives a sense of the colours, light, and atmosphere inside the building, and it helps distant viewers imagine what a visit feels like.
Conclusions
A calm stop where land and sea meet
MuzeeAquarium Delfzijl shows how much can fit inside a small museum. Stones, fossils, a prehistoric grave, shells from many seas, ship models, and live fish all play a part in telling how people on this coast live with the water. The setting on the harbour dike, and the bunker turned into an aquarium, give the place a strong local character.
A winter-friendly outing in December 2025
In December 2025 the museum is open every day, with simple prices and very short train and bus rides from Appingedam. It offers a warm indoor way to explore the Wadden Sea coast on cold or wet days. For families, school groups, and curious travellers of any age, MuzeeAquarium Delfzijl is a gentle, memorable stop where land, sea, and story meet.
Selected References
[1] MuzeeAquarium – English home page with an overview of the museum, its “fifty centuries” theme, the shell collection, the northernmost hunebed, and the wartime bunker aquarium. https://www.muzeeaquarium.nl/home-english
[2] MuzeeAquarium – Opening hours and prices, listing daily 10:00–17:00 opening, closed days, entrance fees by age, family ticket price, Museum Card validity, and dog policy. https://www.muzeeaquarium.nl/openingstijden-prijzen
[3] MuzeeAquarium – Collection overview describing geology, fossils, shells, archaeology, shipping, and the origins of the museum in an earlier overseas trade collection. https://www.muzeeaquarium.nl/collectie
[4] MuzeeAquarium – Groups information with reduced entrance prices for adult and child groups, package deals with tours and refreshments, and public contact details. https://www.muzeeaquarium.nl/groepen
[5] MuzeeAquarium – Address, route, and contact page with location at Zeebadweg 7, 9933 AV Delfzijl, and notes on bus and train access and free parking. https://www.muzeeaquarium.nl/adres-route
[6] MuseumTV – Article “De collecties van MuzeeAquarium Delfzijl”, presenting the museum, its shell collection, geology rooms, cultural history displays, and the bunker aquarium. https://museumtv.nl/tentoonstelling/de-collecties-van-muzeeaquarium-delfzijl/
[7] MuseumTV on YouTube – Short video “De collectie van MuzeeAquarium Delfzijl”, giving a quick visual tour of the museum. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Llwt8tfYTcE
[8] Museum.nl – English page describing MuzeeAquarium as a surprising experience near the Wadden Sea, with a unique mix of natural and cultural history and an aquarium. https://www.museum.nl/en/muzeeaquarium-delfzijl
[9] WhichMuseum – Profile of MuzeeAquarium, describing its embankment location, wartime bunker aquarium, and species such as sharks, rays, wrasses, and lobsters. https://whichmuseum.nl/museum/muzeeaquarium-delfzijl-27
[10] WhichMuseum – Ticket overview confirming free entry for babies, one-euro tickets for toddlers, child and adult prices, and the family ticket for two adults and two children. https://whichmuseum.nl/museum/muzeeaquarium-delfzijl-27/tickets-prijzen
[11] Visit Groningen – Regional tourism page on MuzeeAquarium as a unique combination of natural history, cultural history, and an aquarium with animals from the Wadden and North Seas. https://www.visitgroningen.nl/en/locations/1755155148/museum-aquarium
[12] DagjeWeg – Dutch day-out guide describing MuzeeAquarium as suitable for families and school trips, with examples of shells, gemstones, ship objects, and the bunker aquarium. https://www.dagjeweg.nl/tip/2777/MuzeeAquarium-Delfzijl
[13] Rome2Rio – Route information between Appingedam and Delfzijl, listing trains and buses, journey times, ticket prices, and a general note on transport disruption linked to the war in Ukraine. https://www.rome2rio.com/s/Appingedam/Delfzijl
Appendix
Appingedam
A small historic town in the Dutch province of Groningen, known for its hanging kitchens over the water and for short train and bus links of about six to seven minutes to Delfzijl.
Delfzijl
A port town on the Ems estuary in the north of the Netherlands, close to the German border, with a harbour, a sea dike, and MuzeeAquarium built on the embankment near the water.
Dutch mini-lesson
A brief explanation using the museum name to show that “zee” means “sea” in Dutch, and that “museum” and “aquarium” are almost the same in Dutch and English, helping visitors read local signs.
Hunebed
A prehistoric stone grave built from large boulders by early farmers in the northern Netherlands; the northernmost example appears in the museum story as proof of very long human presence on the coast.
MuzeeAquarium Delfzijl
A combined natural history and cultural history museum with a sea aquarium in a former Second World War bunker, located on the harbour dike in Delfzijl and focused on about fifty centuries of life between land and sea.
North Sea
A shallow sea bordered by the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom, and other countries; many of the shells and fish in MuzeeAquarium come from this sea, which meets the Wadden Sea near Delfzijl.
Tidal flats
Wide, flat coastal areas of sand or mud that lie under shallow sea water at high tide and appear when the tide goes out, rich in worms, shellfish, crabs, and birds; they are a key feature of the Wadden Sea landscape.
Wadden Sea
A chain of shallow coastal waters and tidal flats along the northern Dutch and German coast, recognised as a special natural area and central to the marine life and stories presented in MuzeeAquarium Delfzijl.
My Diary - Leonardo Cardillo 