Museum Zaanse Tijd (“Zaan Time”) is the small museum most visitors walk past and then wish they hadn’t: the Netherlands’ finest collection of early clocks, shown in a 17th-century merchant’s house at Kalverringdijk 3, beside the windmills. You see pendulum clocks from the first decades after Christiaan Huygens’ invention of 1656, Gerrit Knip’s world clock of 1755 with 17 time zones, the ornate Zaanse klokken that hung in every prosperous house on this river, and the country’s oldest collection of church tower clocks. €15 adults, €7.50 children 4–17; free with the Museumkaart and included in the Zaanse Schans Card. Open 10:00–17:00 (April–September) and 11:00–16:00 (October–March).
- Open10:00–17:00 Apr–Sep, 11:00–16:00 Oct–Mar
- Price€15 adult / €7.50 child 4–17
- Free withMuseumkaart
- Included inZaanse Schans Card
- Time needed45 minutes
What to see
The Zaan region grew rich in the 1600s, and its merchants bought the newest luxury of the age: the pendulum clock. In the front rooms of the museum stand clocks from the 1660s–1680s, made within a generation of Huygens’ invention, still running. The Zaanse klok, with its open dial, brass frame and weights on cords, was made here for local houses and later copied all over the world; the museum has the best examples. The showpiece is the world clock of 1755 by Gerrit Knip, which shows the time in 17 places from Amsterdam to Batavia at once, made for a Zaan merchant with ships on every sea. Upstairs are tower-clock movements from village churches, some six centuries old, and a workshop where the museum’s volunteers restore clocks; ask them to demonstrate a striking mechanism. The house itself, with its tiled rooms and Zaan-green interior, is worth the visit on its own.
Allow 45 minutes to an hour.
Tickets and prices 2026
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult | €15.00 |
| Child 4–17 | €7.50 |
| Under 4 | free |
| Museumkaart / I amsterdam City Card / CJP | free |
| Zaanse Schans Card | included |
Tickets at the door (card) or via the museum’s own ticket shop; with the Zaanse Schans Card you walk straight in.
Tip: come on the hour — the striking clocks are set to chime together and the volunteer curators start their short talks then.
Practical
- Address: Kalverringdijk 3, 1509 BT Zaandam — on the dike at the museum end of the village, a 5-minute walk from the Zaans Museum, next to the pewter caster De Tinkoepel.
- Hours: April–September daily 10:00–17:00; October–March daily 11:00–16:00; closed 25 December and 1 January.
- Accessibility: historic house with stairs to the upper floor; ground floor accessible.
- Combine with: the pewter casting next door (free), De Kat paint mill two minutes further along the dike, and the boat jetty.
Book this experience
Zaanse Schans Card: Museum Zaanse Tijd, Zaans Museum, 2 windmills & audio tour (Tiqets) The clock museum alone costs €15; the card with four attractions €29.50.
Windmill cruise, 25 min (Tiqets)
Zaanse Schans walking tour with AI guide (Tiqets)
Stay nearby
Frequently asked questions
How much is Museum Zaanse Tijd?
€15 for adults and €7.50 for children aged 4–17; free with the Museumkaart, I amsterdam City Card and the Zaanse Schans Card.
What is a Zaanse klok?
A wall clock type made in the Zaan region from the late 1600s, with an open dial, a brass-and-wood frame and weights hanging on cords; the museum shows the best original examples.
Is the clock museum included in the Zaanse Schans Card?
Yes.
How long does a visit take?
About 45 minutes to an hour.
Is Museum Zaanse Tijd suitable for children?
Older children enjoy the moving mechanisms and the world clock; for small children the Verkade Experience in the Zaans Museum is a better fit.
Plan the rest of your day
- Things to do in Zaanse Schans
- Zaanse Schans Card: prices and what's included
- How to get to Zaanse Schans
- Windmills of the Zaanse Schans
- Windmill cruise
- Day trips from Amsterdam
- Hotels near Zaanse Schans
- Volendam