Agenda Final weeks: Experience the Batavia in the water through Aug. 30

Final weeks: Experience the Batavia in the water through Aug. 30

4 July 2026

up to

30 August 2026

After 31 years at the dock in Lelystad, the Batavia is being taken out of the water. Sunday, August 30, 2026, is the last day you can visit the ship at the dock. After that, the Batavia will be prepared for its new location on land, which means the ship will be closed to visitors for a while. The shipyard and the exhibition spaces at Museum Batavialand will remain open to visitors as usual during this period. The relocation of the Batavia is an important step in the renovation of Museum Batavialand. Would you like to experience how the Batavia moves on the water one last time? This is your final chance.

Feel Batavia beneath your feet

At the dock, the Batavia sways with the wind and waves. You can feel the ship rocking, sometimes hear the wood creaking, and sense just how large and heavy she is. It’s a feeling that only a ship on the water can give you.

An experience that will soon disappear

Soon the experience will change forever. On land, the Batavia stands higher and becomes more visible from the surroundings. Impressive she will certainly remain. But the gentle swaying, the living wood and the feeling of a ship in the water will not return.

The Batavia remains open, with some modifications

The Batavia will remain open to visitors through August 30. However, we are preparing the ship for transport. The outer decks, the upper deck, the forecastle, the merchant’s cabin, the wheelhouse, and the galley will remain open as long as the Batavia is docked at the pier. The gun deck and the soldiers’ deck will be open to visitors this summer with some restrictions. The hold is closed.

Come before the Batavia sets sail

Toward the end of the summer of 2026, the Batavia will be towed to a dry dock in Amsterdam. There, the ship will be placed on a pontoon, towed back to Lelystad, and set ashore. There, the ship will be given a new home on the grounds of Museum Batavialand as part of the museum’s large-scale renovation. It is certain that this will be an extraordinary moment in the history of both the ship and Lelystad.

Hop on board before it’s too late

Would you like to experience the Batavia one last time, just as she was moored at the dock for 31 years? Then come to the Batavialand Museum no later than Sunday, August 30. Step aboard, feel the ship move, and enjoy an experience that will then be history forever.

Choose your language: