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The largest concentration of old windmills in the Netherlands. In total, there are 19 windmills that were built in 1740 to drain the Albasserwaard. The mills are not always in operation; this depends on the weather. The Kinderdijk site, being a part of the general landscape, is free to visit, and you can walk or cycle through it. For many, that might well be enough.
The Kinderdijk windmills are a group of 19 monumental windmills in the Alblasserwaard polder, in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. Most of the mills are part of the village of Kinderdijk in the municipality of Molenlanden, and one mill, De Blokker, is part of the municipality of Alblasserdam. Built in 1738 and 1740, to keep water out of the polder, it is the largest concentration of old windmills in the Netherlands and one of the best-known Dutch tourist sites. The mills are listed as national monuments and the entire area is a protected village view since 1993. They have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997, and as such are officially named as the Mill Network at Kinderdijk-Elshout.
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De Blokker
There is also the pumping station Wisboomgemaal (steam from 1868; electric from 1924 to 1996) which has the two electric motors from its second incarnation, a couple of games (the best is for 1-6 players on making sure windmills point in the right direction and aren't spinning too much because of a storm or draining too much water), wall displays (some curiously high up given the age group they seem to be aimed at), and a small shop.
Museummolens
Two of the windmills can be visited inside. One is an older design than the other windmills on the site, with more that would rotate, but you are limited to the ground floor and a fire in 1997 means that much of what you see of the building is a modern reconstruction. The other allows access to all but the very top, and you can see the whole mechanism, from gears driven by the sails to the curved blades that lift the water up a few metres. On busy days, you will have to wait to have the space to do so: there is not much, and part of the attraction is wondering how a large family - one per windmill - is managed.
The first windmill has a barge outside (as of 2022) with three very short films on the system. It also has a very low roof and several low beams, so be prepared to duck when moving about.
If you have mobility issues, none of these are likely to be accessible.
At the visitor centre end, paying visitors can access the roof, which gives a slightly better view of the landscape (drones are specifically banned from the site).
Another building has a six-screen film in Dutch, sometimes subtitled in English, on the area. Sit in the middle and be prepared to look at both of the larger screens at opposite ends of the room at once, as the other four can be ignored most of the time.
There are two short boat trip routes: one stops at the open windmills allowing you to hop on and off, the other just goes to the end of the line of them and back without stopping. Both run about every 30 minutes.