Go on a discoverytrip

at Museum Kaap Skil

Museum Kaap Skil

Museum Kaap Skil is an eclectic museum with a focus on Texel’s stories and adventures about the hard life at and with the sea.The museum collection consists of top finds from centuries-old shipwrecks found off the coast of Texel. Kaap Skil has indoor and outdoor entertainment for the whole family!

Photo gallery of Museum Kaap Skil

Exhibitions

Throughout the year, Museum Kaap Skil contains various exhibitions on fishing, shipping, beachcombing and the importance of Texel in the seventeenth century. At the time, Texel was an important hub for shipping. Off the coast near Oudeschild was the Reede van Texel, the largest anchorage in the world.

Open Depot

In the new Open Depot, all kinds of unearthed finds can be found, all of which originate from centuries-old shipwrecks. In the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth century, hundreds of ships were wrecked on the Texel Roads. They lay buried under the sand for centuries, but sometimes the wreck washes free and divers find all kinds of ship parts, personal belongings of the sailors and trading goods. A selection of these many objects that have surfaced from the seabed near Texel is on display in the Open Depot.

Open air museum

In the open air museum you go back in time. From May to October old crafts are regularly shown here. Fishermen polish their nets, fish is smoked and the blacksmith shows how things went in the forge.

World Journey

Adventure, wealth, trade and romance, but also: exploitation, danger, slavery and poverty. Global trade in the 17th century had many faces. All these aspects and the central role of Texel in this era are covered in the exhibition World Voyage. Visit the four corners of the compass and find out all about it!

The Palmwood wreck

A spectacular exhibition opened at Museum Kaap Skil in 2022. Here you can see the exclusive unearthed treasures from the Palmwood wreck. This is an old shipwreck found off the coast of Texel in 2009. The wreck was named after part of the cargo it was carrying: logs of palm wood. What the original name was and who owned the boat remains a mystery.

The Dress

Divers found on board the wreck the most fascinating objects reflecting enormous wealth, including "The Dress". This dress is one of the most significant clothing finds in Europe, as it offers an unprecedented insight into the fashion and lifestyle of the elite in the 17th century. Wearing such a beautiful dress was a sign of wealth and status and it was a way for women to show off their wealth and beauty. It is very rare that such a beautiful piece of craftsmanship has been so miraculously preserved underwater.

Read a National Geographic article about the dress here. Or click here to take a look at the museum's website.