| Built: |
1952
- present |
| Type: |
Museum |
| Location: |
George
Maduroplein |
If
you'd like to see all of the great architecture in
The Netherlands but don't have time to waste driving
all over the country, then this is the place to go.
The Madurodam is a park with all of the great buildings,
bridges, castles and towers of the country reconstructed
at 1:25 scale. It was started in 1952 by the parents
of George Maduro who died as a prisoner during the
second World War. To honor their son they started
Madurodam to raise money in his name for the Society
for the Support of the Dutch Student Sanatorium. The
list of benefactors has grown, but all are still charities
that help young people. The models are amazingly detailed,
and many of the accompanying trains, boats, planes,
and cars move. Even the re-construction of Rotterdam's
giant flood barrier opens and closes with the tide.
The trees are special species grown and pruned carefully
to make them appeare miniature. It can take a long
time, and be very expensive to create some of the
models. The ING Bank took four years to recreate.
The model of Saint John's Basilica would cost NLG
1,000,000.00 to reconstruct. This miniature city even
has its own politicians. Until she became queen in
1980, Princess Beatrix was the city's mayor. That
duty is now handled by a group of local students who
elect thier own mayor who presides at all ribbon-cutting
ceremonies.
-
About
20% of the building miniatures are paid for by the
companies that own them.
-
In
a Radio Netherlands interview, one of the propriators
says that environmental activists from Greenpeace
actually protested in front of a miniature oil platform
the same way they would a real oil platform.
Information
from the Madurodam brochure:
- Number
of models: 1148
- Number
of bridges: 27
- Number
of moving objects: 63
- Number
of cars and trucks: 2,389
- Number
of ships: 58
- Number
of airplanes: 32
- Length
of rail lines: 13,100 feet
- Number
of trains: 12
- Number
of trams: 2
- Annual
distance per train: 9,900 miles
- Annual
distance per car: 8,700 miles
- Number
of trees: 4,957
- Number
of people: 13,000
- Number
of lights: 50,045
Buildings
in Madurodam:
- George
Maduro's birthplace, Curaçao
- Saint
John's Casilica, 's-Hertogenbosch
- Rietveld-Schröder
House, Utrecht
- Reformed
Church, Maasdijk
- Cathedral
Tower, Utrecht
- Cantonal
Court, Utrecht
- City
Hall, Utrecht
- Groke
Kerk, Middelburg
- Dutch
Museum of Textiles, Tilburg
- Delfland
House, Delft
- Frans
Hals Museum, Haarlem
- The
Holy Ghost Almshouses, The Hague
- Mauritshuis,
The Hague
- Het
Binnenhof, The Hague
- Johan
de Witt's House, The Hague
- Statue
of Bartje, Drenthe
- Regional
Museum, Sommelsdijk
- The
Dutch Supreme Court, The Hague
- Leiden
University, Leiden
- Voldersgrachy,
Delft
- Brink,
Deventer
- Magna
Plaza, Amsterdam
- Post
Office, Venlo
- Town
Hall, Gouda
- Amsterdam
History Museum, Amsterdam
- Café,
Deventer
- Templing
Agency, The Hague
- Weighing
house and cheese market, Alkmaar
- Medieval
square, 's-Hertogenbosch
- Royal
Theatre, The Hague
- Oudegracht,
Utrecht
- Canal
quarter, Rembrandrplein, and Munttoren, Amsterdam
- Portuguese
Synagogue, Amsterdam
- Anne
Frank House, Amsterdam
- Westerkerk,
Amsterdam
- Royal
Carré Theatre, Amsterdam
- Schreierstoren,
Amsterdam
- Dutch
East India Company ship Amsterdam, Amsterdam
- Dutch
Maritime Museum, Amsterdam
- Skinny
Bridge, Amsterdam
- World
War II monument, Amsterdam
- Dam
Square, Amsterdam
- Royal
Palace, Amsterdam
- Nieuwe
Kerk, Amsterdam
- Jordaan
quarter, Amsterdam
- De
Valk mill, Meiden
- Sassenpoort,
Zwolle
- Cineac
cinema, Amsterdam
- Hotel
De Wereld with parade, Wageningen
- Planetarium,
Franeker
- Comenius'
House, Naarden
- Waterpoort,
Sneek
- Fish
Stall, Vlaardingen
- Town
Hall, Nieuwpoort
- Van
Oldenbarnevelt's House, Amersfoort
- Muiderslot,
Muiden
- Centraal
Station, Groningen
- Vredespaleis,
The Hague
- Barracks,
's-Hertogenbosch
- De
Balij, Zoetermeer
- Spaarndammerplantsoen,
Amsterdam
- Roman
Catholic church, Nijmegen
- Silver
factory, Voorschoten
- Dorrepaal
House, Leidschendam
- Brabant
farm, Liempde
- Water
tower, Zoetermeer
- Broekerveiling,
Broek op Langedijk
- South
Holland farm, Woerden
- Greenhouses,
Dokkum
- Frisian
farm, Wonseradeel
- Statue
of Hans Brinker, Spaarndam
- West
Frisian farm, Middenbeemster
- Polder-draining
mill, Leidschendam
- Dutch
Institute of Architecture, Rotterdam
- Blaak
Station, Rotterdam
- Pavilion
on the Nieuwe Maas river, Rotterdam
- Lighthouse,
Ameland
- Villa,
Berg aan de Maas
- Library,
Zeewolde
- Folk
High School, Bakkeveen
- Van
Brienenoordbrug, Rotterdam
- Oil
storage, Rotterdam
- Ministry
building, The Hague
- Flood
barrier, Hoek van Holland
- Oil
refinrey, Rotterdam
- Groninger
Museum, Geoningen
- Netherlands
National life insurance, Rotterdam
- Container
port, Rotterdam
- Erasmusbrug,
Rotterdam
- Power
station, Nijmegen
- Euromast,
Rotterdam
- Eindhoven
Station, Eindhoven
- Candy
factory, Veghel
- Social
Economic Council Building, The Hague
- Freight
terminal, Sliedrecht
- Brewry,
Breda
- Holland-America
Line, Rotterdam
- Enkhuizen
Station, Enkhuizen
- Radio
tower, Markelo
- Huis
ten Bosch, The Hague
- Municipal
Library, Rotterdam
- Bank
building, Amsterdam
- Bank
building, Leeuwarden
- Drakensteijn
Castle, Lage Vuursche
- Radio
and Television studio, Hilversum
- Town
Hall, Hilversum
- Blijdorp
Zoo, Rotterdam
- Neijenrode
Castle, Breukelen
- Monastary,
Ter Apel
- Princess
Beatrix Lock, Nieuwegein
- Matural
gas plant, Groningen
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