40th edition Open Monument Day (Netherlands)

Every year, on the second weekend of September, thousands of beautiful monuments throughout the Netherlands are freely accessible to everyone. The 40th edition of the VriendenLoterij Open Monument Day is on September 12 and 13, 2026, and has the theme 'Resilient heritage, in times of uncertainty'. The national opening is on Friday, September 11, 2026, in host province Flevoland.

6.000 monuments open for free

These ten tips are just a small selection from the 6.000 monuments opening their doors this coming weekend. Farms, forts, factories, pumping stations, windmills, houses, castles, and churches—there is plenty to discover throughout the Netherlands. Curious which monuments are opening near you? View the full program, opening days and times, and all activities at www.openmonumentendag.nl. The 40th edition of Open Monument Day will be opened nationwide in Flevoland on Friday evening, September 11, by Minister of Education, Culture and Science Rianne Letschert and Open Monument Day ambassador Janny van der Heijden. The opening evening is free to attend and begins with a spectacular opening show at the shipyard of Museum Batavialand in Lelystad, followed by a tour of seven illuminated monuments featuring music, dance, and performances.

Source: OpenMonumentendag.nl

The heritage association Bond Heemschut is a Dutch association for the preservation of cultural monuments; statutorily, the association is known by its founding name: Bond Heemschut. The association was founded on February 2, 1911, in Amsterdam and is located in the Korenmetershuisje on the Nieuwezijds Kolk in Amsterdam-Centrum. Many Heemschut properties can be viewed from the inside during the Open Monument Days, often with a guided tour.

The 100th anniversary of heritage association Heemschut was celebrated, among other things, with the issuance of a sheet of ten stamps in 2011. The theme of the stamps is the work of Heemschut, namely the preservation of historically important buildings, landscape elements, or infrastructure works. Design: Piet Gerards Ontwerpers, Amsterdam.

<strong> More info: </strong>

Open Monument Day 2026: https://www.openmonumentendag.nl/

Opening of Open Monument Day in Lelystad on September 11, 2026: https://www.openmonumentendag.nl/opening/