Zaanse Schans Windmills: Which Ones You Can Visit, Tickets and Opening Hours (2026)

The Zaanse Schans has eight historic windmills on the dike along the river Zaan, and you can go inside three of them on most days: De Kat (paint mill), Het Jonge Schaap (sawmill) and, from March to October, De Bonte Hen (oil mill). A single mill costs €7.50 (children 4–17 €3.75), the All-in-One ticket for all open mills plus the Molenmuseum €15, and two mills are included in the Zaanse Schans Card (€29.50). Seeing the mills from the outside is free, day and night.

The windmills of the Zaanse Schans along the river Zaan
The row of mills on the Kalverringdijk: De Kat, Het Jonge Schaap and De Bonte Hen can be visited inside.
  • Mills you can enter3 (De Kat, Het Jonge Schaap, De Bonte Hen Mar–Oct)
  • Single mill€7.50 adult / €3.75 child
  • All mills + Molenmuseum€15
  • Zaanse Schans Card2 mills included (€29.50)
  • Best time10:00–12:00 or after 16:00, windy days

The eight windmills, one by one

Windmill Type Built Can you go inside? 2026 hours
De Kat Paint mill 1646 (rebuilt after 1782 fire, restored 1960) Yes, daily 09:00–16:30
Het Jonge Schaap Sawmill 1680 original, reconstructed 2007 Yes, daily 09:30–16:30
De Bonte Hen Oil mill 1693 Yes, March–October 10:00–17:00, Thu–Sun (check calendar)
De Huisman Mustard & spice mill 1786, moved here 1955 Shop only; mill for groups on request Shop 10:00–17:00
De Zoeker Oil mill 1672, moved here 1968 Groups on request, special days —
De Gekroonde Poelenburg Paltrok sawmill 1867, moved here 1963 On request / special days —
De Os Oil mill before 1663 No —
Het Klaverblad Small sawmill 2005, private No —

De Kat is the reason painters and restorers still come to the Zaan: the last windmill in the world that grinds pigments — chalk, ochre, indigo — between edge-runner stones on wind power, supplying the Rembrandt House and museum restorers. When the sails run the whole building trembles; you climb past the stones to the cap and out onto the gallery.

Het Jonge Schaap (“The Young Sheep”) is the youngest mill on the Schans and the most impressive inside. The original of 1680 was demolished in 1942; mill expert Anton Sipman had measured it, and in 2005–2007 volunteers rebuilt it from his drawings. It is a working sawmill: on windy days you see tree trunks being pulled up the ramp and cut into planks by the wind-driven saw frames. Six-sided, which is rare.

De Bonte Hen (“The Spotted Hen”) has pressed linseed and rapeseed oil since 1693 and survived the lightning strikes that burned down its neighbours. Inside, volunteers show how the seed is crushed under the edge stones, heated, and hammered in the press until the oil runs out. Open from spring to autumn; in winter by appointment.

De Huisman grinds the famous Zaanse mustard and spices — the smell of cinnamon and cloves hangs around it — and its shop is free to enter; the mill itself is shown to groups. De Zoeker made world news in 1968 when its 18-ton cap was hoisted over the railway and floated across the Zaan to its present spot. De Gekroonde Poelenburg is a paltrok: the whole mill body turns on a ring of wooden rollers, a type of which only two remain in the region. De Os and Het Klaverblad can only be admired from the path.

Paint mill De Kat with Dutch flag, Zaanse Schans
Paint mill De Kat — the only working windmill paint mill in the world.
Inside sawmill Het Jonge Schaap
Inside sawmill Het Jonge Schaap, rebuilt in 2007 to 17th-century plans.

Molenmuseum: the story of 1,100 mills

The Molenmuseum at Kalverringdijk 30 explains why the Zaan was the world’s first industrial region: around 1700 more than a thousand windmills sawed timber, pressed oil, ground spices and made paper here. Highlights are Frans Mars’ eleven-metre panorama of the Zaan around 1800, an interactive map of all 1,100 mills and scale models. €10 (children €5); March–October 10:00–17:00, November–December 11:00–16:00, January–February Tuesday–Sunday 11:00–16:00. Included in the All-in-One ticket and the Zaanse Schans Card.

Tickets and prices 2026

  • Single windmill: €7.50 adult, €3.75 age 4–17, at the door of each mill (card payment).
  • All-in-One ticket (all open mills + Molenmuseum): €15 / €7.50, at the door or online at tickets.zaanschemolen.nl. Best value if you want to see all three mills.
  • Zaanse Schans Card: €29.50 / €20, includes two mills of your choice, the Molenmuseum, the Zaans Museum, Museum Zaanse Tijd and an audio tour. Best value if you also want the museums.
  • Museumkaart: valid for the Molenmuseum, not for the mills.

→ Zaanse Schans Card: what’s included and is it worth it

Boat passing the windmills on the Zaan
From the water you see all eight mills in one view — the 25-minute cruise leaves from the village entrance.

Best time to see the mills turning

The mills only run when there is wind and a miller on duty, so a breezy weekday is ideal. National Mill Day (second Saturday of May, 9 May 2026) is the one day all mills turn and open together. In summer the sails usually run from about 10:00. For photos without people, walk the Kalverringdijk before 09:30 or after 17:00 — the path is open around the clock — or cross the Julianabrug to Zaandijk for the classic view of all mills in a row with the sun behind you in the morning.

Tip: the mills only turn when there is wind and a miller. Check the flags on the sails when you arrive: a mill with its sails set is working that day.

Practical

  • Location: Kalverringdijk, 1509 BT Zaandam; the mills are a 5–10 minute walk from the car park and bus stop, in a row along the river.
  • Accessibility: the mills have steep ladder-stairs and low beams; not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs. The path along the mills is flat and paved.
  • Time needed: 20–30 minutes per mill; about 1.5 hours for three mills and the Molenmuseum.
  • Children: under 4 free; the sawmill is the favourite.

Book this experience

Zaanse Schans Card: 2 windmills, museums & audio tour (Tiqets)

Single windmill entrance ticket (GetYourGuide)

Windmill cruise: see all eight mills from the water (Tiqets)

Stay nearby

Hotels: near Zaanse Schans

Frequently asked questions

How many windmills are there at the Zaanse Schans?

Eight full-size mills on the Kalverringdijk, plus a few miniature ones. Three are regularly open to visitors: De Kat, Het Jonge Schaap and De Bonte Hen (March–October).

How much does it cost to go inside a windmill at the Zaanse Schans?

€7.50 per mill for adults and €3.75 for children aged 4–17. All open mills plus the Molenmuseum cost €15 with the All-in-One ticket; two mills are included in the Zaanse Schans Card (€29.50).

Are the windmills still working?

Yes. De Kat grinds pigments, Het Jonge Schaap saws timber and De Bonte Hen and De Zoeker press oil, all on wind power, whenever there is enough wind.

Can you see the windmills for free?

Yes. The dike path past all eight mills is public and open day and night; you only pay to go inside.

Which windmill is best to visit?

Het Jonge Schaap if you want to see machinery at work, De Kat for the pigments and the best view from the gallery. Do both if you have the time.

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