View the entire city at a glance? That can be done within an hour on a drizzly afternoon. Miniworld Rotterdam is a huge miniature exhibition of more than 500 square meters, inspired by Rotterdam and its spacious surroundings. The focus is on the extensive model rail network, but at least as much attention has been paid to the landscape, the buildings and the 27.000 inhabitants.
Everything is very, very small in Miniworld (about 78 times smaller than our world) but at the same time the numbers are impressive. Nowhere in the Netherlands can you find such a large model railway. Two and a half kilometers of track with some 150 trains, nearly 3000 buildings and an abundance of rivers, roads, bridges and residents - all brought to life by some 44 kilometers of wiring.
Miniworld is not a direct reflection of Rotterdam and its surroundings, but a creative representation of the region. You will find many elements from reality, but many historical elements have also been added. And that is quite educational: with many objects and scenes you will find accompanying texts and videos that tell you more about certain buildings and areas. Quite a fun way to learn more about the city!
As soon as you step into the exhibition space, the size of the space is quite overwhelming. There is something to see all around you. But it only really gets fun when you stop and think about a landscape - more and more things start to catch your eye. The volunteers have all added stories and jokes to the landscape - riots, floating cows, parties… all kinds of fun scenes. People may stand still, but with humor and fantasy the world still seems to be alive.
At the moment, a British landscape with mountains, castles and villages is being built in the basement of Miniworld. Although this miniature world is not finished yet, you can already take a look. That's pretty cool, by the way: you see how such a world works, and what kind of technology is hidden under the landscapes. It is not yet known when the Anglo-Scottish extension will officially open.
Miniworld has a pretty broad appeal. Grandparents with their grandchildren, train enthusiasts, technology nerds ... But even if you don't fall into the categories, it is a very nice outing. The scope and detail of the exhibition is such that you actually have to see it before you can judge. And otherwise you can always have a cup of coffee in the restaurant, because it is well equipped.
Watch out! The miniature world can be enchanting, so if you walk too enthusiastically to the balustrade, it may be that you are offensive to the stepladders for children. Not very pleasant for your legs, but very useful for the little ones.
The largest building of Miniworld is the Groothandelsgebouw? The construction of this model complex next to Rotterdam Central took seven months, and there are 2500 dolls and 900 lights in the building. Especially at night you can see all the scenes in the building well, so wait a while for the evening. Fortunately, 24 minutes in Miniworld only lasts XNUMX minutes, so you don't have to wait very long.
Miniworld is a miniature world, but above all an extremely extensive model railway complex. Would you like to know more about how the trains work, the world beneath the landscape and the technology behind the scenes? Take a tour! A volunteer will take you in tow for 4 minutes, and you can ask anything you want. Such an extensive tour costs XNUMX euros per person.
The whole year through | |
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Monday | Closed |
Tuesday | Closed |
Wednesday | 12.00 - 17: 00 |
Thursday | 12.00 - 17: 00 |
Friday | 12.00 - 17: 00 |
Saturday | 10.00 - 17: 00 |
Sunday | 10.00 - 17: 00 |
School vacations | |
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Monday | 10.00 - 17: 00 |
Tuesday | 10.00 - 17: 00 |
Wednesday | 10.00 - 17: 00 |
Thursday | 10.00 - 17: 00 |
Friday | 10.00 - 17: 00 |
Saturday | 10.00 - 17: 00 |
Sunday | 10.00 - 17: 00 |
Route Rotterdam Central Station
Route Viewpoint like photo