At the fairground! A summer full of music and magic
Taste the atmosphere of the fairground this summer! Listen to the sounds of fairground organs and admire a miniature fairground. Or get spooked by the cabinet of curiosities and the haunted piano.
Scattered throughout the museum you will find all kinds of fairground instruments, pictures and objects. As a showpiece, the Double Ruth, a grand fairground organ, shines on the stage of Museum Speelklok. The museum cafĂ© offers typical fairground candy. This summer, on Fri/Sat/Sun* you will receive a voucher for a special offer at Mijs IJs’ ice cream truck.
Special weekend at the museum
There is some extra fun in the museum during the weekend of August 1-3. Children can take a free ride on the mini carousel this weekend and there are special 1 euro offers in the museum café. There are also dedicated fairground tours you can join. Read more about the weekend here.
Place for wonder and entertainment
The fair is a place for wonder and entertainment. It has been accompanied by machines and music for a long time now! The funfair as we know it today originated in the 19th century due to rapid technological developments. But the oldest fair in the Netherlands dates back as early as around the year 1000 in the province of Utrecht. The city of Utrecht also has a long tradition of fairs, originally intended as a festive consecration of a church. Historical photos from the Utrecht Archive show the entertainment at the Utrecht fair through the years. You will also see a beautiful collection of carousel animals.
The Double Ruth: the ultimate fairground organ
The Double Ruth with its pioneering mechanism was built by the German company A. Ruth & Sons. Musical quality is most important to its makers! The organ first appeared near a roller coaster. Later, the Hommerson family bought the Double Ruth and placed it near the bumper cars. The fairground organ ended up in the collection of Museum Speelklok in 1957, where it now shines on the stage; besides merry fairground music, it can play complete operas and other classical music.
In the Dance Hall and the nave, you can admire even more legendary organs that have been at the fair, such as fairground organ De Schuyt and street organ De Drie Pruiken. In the guided tours, you will learn much more about the music machines at the fairground.
Ice cream with music
In the 19th century, many Italians move around Europe looking for work. Some of them take to the streets with barrel organs and then start selling ice cream, an Italian invention. Other music machines can also often be heard at the ice cream carts. At the museum entrance this summer until 30 September, you will get a voucher for a a special offer for an ice cream at Mijs IJs on the bridge near Museum Speelklok (valid on the day of your visit on Fri/Sat/Sun*).
*Due to staff shortages the Mijs IJs ice cream cart may occasionally not be available. We will try and announce this as early as possible.
Photo miniature carousel: Eric Kampherbeek
