About Museum Fort 1881

Special museum near Rotterdam and The Hague
Fort 1881 is the best preserved armored fortress in the Netherlands. The fort also has a special history. There was never any fighting, but the fort played a crucial role in the Second World War. The meeting that the Council of Ministers held here determined the course of the war for the Netherlands. Discover this history for yourself.

Travel through the past
The Netherlands built this Fort at the end of the nineteenth century to protect the Nieuwe Waterweg. When the Fort was completed in 1881, it was by far the most modern Fort in Europe with six cannons in three turrets. Yet these guns were never fired. Why not? Discover that in our interactive museum.

Our unique fort breathes history. You can "get lost" through the ancient corridors. Along the way you will experience the special stories of this coastal defense fortress. Where did the men sleep? How could the soldiers survive a siege? What were the Germans doing in the fort?