Dutch Sites in a Day in Holland, Michigan

The best time to visit the charming little town of Holland, Michigan, is in April or May, when the fields of gorgeous tulips are in full bloom. In fact, the annual tulip festival takes place here in May every year and you will see every color of tulip imaginable other than black. But this was not the time we visited – partly because we wanted to avoid the crowds and finish the school year. Still, there was a lot for us to see in Holland – the town that, as you can guess from the name, still strongly values its Dutch heritage. The windmills, the klompen shoes, the beautiful beaches, and, perhaps, the nicest people I’ve ever met are some of the highlights of our recent trip to this Michigan town. I was not surprised to learn that Holland was named #2 spot in the 2010 Gallup poll of the happiest and healthiest cities in the US. Here are the top three things to do around Holland in a day.

Nelis’ Dutch Village

Plan to spend a couple of hours here, as there is plenty to do for the kids, who will probably find this place most entertaining. The village is covered with cobblestone walkways and little Dutch stores selling cheeses and sweets and shoes, as well as decorative storefronts, with plenty of water and bridges around. You could see a number of miniature windmills and interesting sculptures throughout the village. Start your visit at the Bell Tower to buy your tickets (and make sure to get the joint ticket to visit the Windmill Island too) and see the schedule of demonstrations and concerts there.

Kids will probably want to march straight through to the rides – the carousel, chair swing ride and petal pumpers wagon train ride. Since everything is included in your admission price, they can ride as long as they like, though lines will be longer around the tulip festival.

The old carousel is absolutely beautiful, a very authentic piece of work.

You will also enjoy learning a little bit about the Dutch history. All the village workers are dressed in traditional costumes and are very knowledgeable and extremely welcoming. I love learning something new on every trip. At the Dutch village, we learned a little cheese making history near the old weights room. Next time, ask why some cheese used to be wrapped in red and not in white or black – you will be curious to know what each one signifies. Don’t forget to sample or buy some cheese here! The old scale used to predict if a woman was a witch (typically if she didn’t weigh much, which I found amusing), and don’t worry, they don’t weigh kids. They may turn dinner time into the witching hour, but they are still sweet.

Kids of all ages would enjoy the petting zoo.The little farm had a lot of animals for the kids to play with – sheep, goats, ponies, but the highlight for us was the bunnies which you could pet. The petting zoo is right next to the carousel, so it offers a nice transition from the wild excitement of the rides.

Still, there is plenty of fun for the kids. The giant shoe slide is a beautiful looking one piece playground that my kids dedicated a good amount of time to, so I had a chance to relax and take in the scene of the rooftops, bridges and other sculptures like the beautiful stork or the kissing sculpture my daughter adored.

At the nearby square, there is frequent Dutch dancing which everyone can learn and participate in. They wheel in the old organ for this fun occasion. The organ dates back to 1927 and was pushed on a three wheel cart around the streets of Amsterdam before making its way here. The organ’s flywheel has to be turned by hand to produce songs.

With plenty of Dutch history, great entertainment and activities for the kids and nice people, Nelis’ Dutch Village is a must-see stop in Holland.

Windmill Island

Why visit the Windmill Island? The biggest reason is that you will see America’s only authentic working Dutch windmill. The other reason is thousands of beautiful tulips you will see in the spring. The windmill is quite a graceful sight from afar, and it’s appropriately called the Swan (“De Zwaan” in Dutch). It’s 240 years old and the last one to leave the country of Holland (their windmills are now considered national monuments). The blades are as high as a 12-story building. This is still a working windmill and on occasion will grind grain into flour. You can actually get a nice tour of the windmill, and they will tailor them showing more tactile kinds of things and a shorter story for the kids with little patience and more detailed and longer historical tour for adults with lots of questions. You will learn everything from how the millers communicated with the ground, how the process works, how the windmill is decorated (special panels shown on the “flaps” for special occasions – birthdays, weddings, etc.). You will definitely enjoy a beautiful view from above onto the pastures and lawns around, and on the fields of tulips when in bloom.

If you are a history buff, you will enjoy a little movie presentation at the Little Netherlands Museum where you can learn about tulips, Dutch culture and windmills. It’s amazing how many uses there are for a windmill! The museum features an interesting setting straight out of the old days in Holland complete with authentic furniture and costumes.

Seeing the windmill is definitely the highlight of the trip to these gardens but no child will walk past the carousel. Here they have the 1929 antique carousel. My youngest enjoyed the antique Carousel a little better here than at the Dutch village, because the horses do not move up and down. It’s an old carousel but it is very nicely restored. Adjacent to the carousel is the Little Netherlands – a small row of charming buildings in the style of the Dutch countryside where you can buy anything from yummy Michigan fudge to Dutch klompen shoes to miniature windmills.

Orchid house is a nice final stop on your Windmill Island Garden trip. Though we enjoyed our visit, a trip in May would show you the full splendor of tulips fields around here.

Downtown

From the beautiful park adjacent to downtown Holland to the delicious pie stop at Crane’s, there is plenty to see and do in the main street area. Start at the Centennial park with beautiful fountains, gazebos and walkways. Kids will enjoy a stroll around this small park. Across from the park, is the Holland museum with many interesting exhibits year round.

The shopping area around the 8th and 9th streets is full of interesting finds and charming restaurants. Two stores our kids enjoyed the most were the Sandcastle for Kids and Holland Clock Company. The Sandcastle for Kids toy store had a full size playhouse and train track, and, of course, plenty of great toys. Our family was especially fascinated by the furniture and decorations at the Holland Clock Company with dozens of musical clocks on displays. The clocks would change shapes as they played recorded music – from Beatles to classical.

Another must stop is Crane’s. It’s a famous institution in Holland. Their pies draw crowds of regulars and tourists alike. We tried “Crane’s in the city” and the lunch was just as fresh and delicious as the homemade blueberry pie my kids gobbled up very quickly.

The Beaches

You will probably need more than a day’s time to enjoy the beaches of Holland or any of the beautiful beaches along Lake Michigan in West Michigan. The park most local kids love is the Tunnel Park – a great adventure in the sand for the kids. Our quick stop was at the State Beach park where you can see the Lighthouse and walk along the dunes, or swim if the weather cooperates.