A Musical Journey: Museum Speelklok

By Elie - 7:30 PM

Hip hip hooray to more museum adventures! Purchasing a Museumkaart was probably the best decision my other half and I have done here in the Netherlands so far because we've exploring more and more museums across several weekends now. Hint hint...that also means more museum entries on the blog!

In today's edition, we're going to check out a rather interesting museum that's not the most popular but it sure brings music to our ears...

Because we're going to talk about Museum Speelklok 

Loosely translated, a speelklok means "playing clock" in Dutch - which should already be a sign to what this museum is all about. Set in Utrecht, Museum Speelklok is a not-so-tiny museum that features a variety of musical boxes and displays and most interestingly, musical clocks. To be honest, we had visited this museum twice because we only briefly walked through it the first time. This was possibly the best thing about the Museumkaart, and it was the fact that we could walk into a museum anytime we wanted. While some museums still require a booking, having the Museumkaart meant we didn't have to pay anything extra.

Musical clocks that were more for show than time

And grandfather clocks that I think my dad would love

While you could always explore the museum by yourself, Museum Speelklok actually hosts hourly walking tours in English and in Dutch. Staff members would also wind most of the displays so you get to hear the music and a little history lesson behind each instrument while you're at it. The walking tours usually don't require any reservations, and you can jump in anytime you like - even if they've already started. 

We were even introduced to the Rabbit in a Cabbage toy from 1911

There were also parts of the museum that were not included in the walking tour, but you'd get a complimentary museum guide when you first enter anyway. These displays obviously don't make music the way you'd get to experience them during the walking tours, but they're just as majestic if not cooler otherwise.

Like these clock parts from a tower dating back the 15th century

Although the visiting a musical clock museum may sound weird at first, my other half and I found the trip highly enjoyable though we were no antique admirers. They also had a museum store by the exit where my other half got to buy a music book from. I did, however feel that the tickets were not the friendliest on our pockets as they cost €14 per adult and €7.50 for kids aged 4 to 17. We got in for free though, so all hail the Museumkaart. Free lockers were available for your bags, but you'd need to get a token from the counter for it to work.

At the end of the day, we spent a good hour and a half at the museum, including joining the 45-minute long walking tour. The rest of our moments were spent marvelling at the displays, much of which dates back centuries ago. We're not sure if we'll be back anytime soon since there's only so much to see and their displays don't change, but the museum does become a good place to hide from the rain in case you're caught in a downpour someday.

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