Is Madurodam worth it? An honest answer, and how it fits into a day in The Hague

Madurodam is worth it if you are travelling with children between about 4 and 12, if it is raining and you want somewhere with cover, or if you have half a day spare between the centre of The Hague and the beach at Scheveningen. It is not worth it for most adults on a short trip who would rather spend the same afternoon in the Mauritshuis, at Panorama Mesdag, or on the beach. A ticket costs €22.50 online (dynamic pricing, so it varies by date) or €26.00 at the counter, the park sits on tram 9 between Den Haag Centraal and Scheveningen, and a realistic visit takes two to three hours.

What is Madurodam, exactly?

Madurodam is a park of Dutch landmarks rebuilt at 1:25 scale, opened on 2 July 1952 and still run as a charity. Its founder, Mrs Boon-van der Starp, wanted to raise money for a students’ sanatorium, and the parents of George Maduro, a reserve cavalry officer who fought at Rijswijk in May 1940 and died in Dachau in February 1945, paid for the park as a memorial to their son. Princess Beatrix, then 14, opened it. The park describes itself, with some justification, as the happiest war memorial in the world.

The miniatures are the core: the Binnenhof, the Peace Palace, Schiphol, the Delta Works, the Rijksmuseum, canal houses, a working port. Everything is kept in scale, down to trees pruned so they never grow above 60 centimetres. Around the models, the park has added interactive activities (you can operate a lock, close a storm-surge barrier, weigh cheese), four playgrounds and, in its own count, seven indoor attractions with shows on Dutch history, water and design. After a major rebuild in 2011 and 2012 it became far more of a family attraction than the quiet model village older visitors may remember.

How much do Madurodam tickets cost?

An online day ticket for a chosen date starts at €22.50 for anyone aged 3 and over; children under 3 are free. Madurodam uses dynamic pricing, so a Saturday in July can cost more than a Tuesday in November. A flexible ticket with no fixed date, and a ticket bought at the counter on the day, both cost €26.00. Buy online for the cheapest price and show the ticket on your phone; printing is not needed.

Ticket	Price	Notes
Online day ticket, fixed date	from €22.50	Dynamic pricing, varies by date
Online flex ticket	€26.00	Any day, no date chosen
At the counter	€26.00	Same for adults and children aged 3+
Children under 3	free
Parking	€14.95 per day	No advance booking needed

Check the current prices on the Madurodam tickets page before you go.

The Museumkaart is not valid at Madurodam. The park says so plainly in its own FAQ, and it is a common point of confusion because Madurodam appears in many museum lists. If you are counting on the Dutch museum pass for your trip, Madurodam is a separate expense.

There is no lower price for children. A family of two adults and two children aged 6 and 9 pays €90.00 online at the base price, or €104.00 at the gate. That is the number to weigh against the alternatives below.

What are the opening hours?

Madurodam is open every day of the year. Hours change by season, with longer days in the summer and school holidays (for the autumn break, 11 to 26 October, the park lists 10:00 to 18:00), and shorter days from late October into December, when it has run 11:00 to 17:00 in recent winters. The park does not publish one fixed annual table, so check the opening hours page for the date of your visit. Arriving at opening time is the best move in summer: the first hour is noticeably quieter than midday.

How long does Madurodam take?

Plan two to three hours with children, and 60 to 90 minutes if you are an adult who mainly wants to see the miniatures. Madurodam itself uses the phrase “the Netherlands in an hour” for the model section, and that is about right for a brisk lap. What extends the visit is everything else: the interactive activities, the playgrounds, the indoor shows, and lunch. Families with children under 10 regularly stay four hours because nobody wants to leave the playground.

If you are fitting the park into a day that also includes the centre of The Hague or the beach, budget half a day for Madurodam including travel, and keep the other half for the rest.

What happens when it rains?

The park stays open, and this is one of its real strengths in a country where it rains on average one day in two. Madurodam counts seven indoor attractions, which between them fill about an hour, and the restaurants and shop are under cover. The miniatures themselves are outdoors, so bring a raincoat rather than an umbrella (the paths are narrow and umbrellas at child height are a menace). On a wet day with children, Madurodam beats most of the alternatives in The Hague except Museon-Omniversum, which is fully indoors.

Is there food, and can you bring your own?

There are restaurants and snack points in the park, with children’s menus, and picnic space if you bring your own. Prices are what you would expect at an attraction, not at a supermarket. Lockers are available near the entrance for coats and bags, which is useful if you arrive with luggage or beach kit on the way to Scheveningen.

Is Madurodam accessible with a wheelchair or a stroller?

Yes. The paths are paved and level, strollers are welcome, and a limited number of wheelchairs can be borrowed if you call ahead on +31 70 416 24 00. The park has eight charging points for electric cars in its car park. Most of the interactive activities are at child height, which also means they are at wheelchair height.

How do you get to Madurodam from Den Haag Centraal?

Take tram 9 towards Scheveningen Noord or bus 22 towards Duindorp from Den Haag Centraal and get off at the stop called Madurodam, which is directly in front of the entrance. The ride takes about 10 minutes. Both lines also run from Hollands Spoor, the other main station, so it does not matter which station your train arrives at.

For tickets, the simplest option is to tap in and out with a contactless bank card or phone (OVpay); no registration is needed and the fare is calculated by distance. If you will ride more than twice in a day, an HTM day ticket at €8.60 is better value, and children aged 4 to 11 have a day ticket for €1.50. A 2-hour ticket costs €4.85. See the HTM fares page for the current prices, and our general guide to Dutch trains, trams and buses if you are new to the system.

If you drive, the park’s own car park costs €14.95 a day and does not need to be booked.

Madurodam or Scheveningen? You can do both

Madurodam sits between the centre and the sea, and tram 9 continues past it to its terminus at Scheveningen Noord, a short walk from the boulevard, the pier and the Kurhaus. The obvious plan with children is Madurodam in the morning from opening time, lunch in the park or at the beach, then the afternoon on the sand. In reverse it works less well: the beach is hard to leave, and Madurodam closes earlier than the sun sets in summer.

If it is genuinely a choice between the two with one afternoon, pick by weather and age. Warm day and children who swim: Scheveningen, which is free. Cool or wet day, or children under 6 who are not yet beach-independent: Madurodam. Teenagers will pick the beach every time, and they are right.

Madurodam and the centre of The Hague in one day

This is the most common combination for visitors staying in Amsterdam, Rotterdam or Delft who have one day for The Hague. It works, as long as you accept that the centre gets the morning and the park the afternoon, or the other way round, and neither gets the whole day.

A workable order:

• 09:30 to 12:30: the historic centre. The Binnenhof (viewed from the Hofvijver, since the complex itself is closed for renovation until 2031), the Mauritshuis when it is open, Lange Voorhout, Noordeinde Palace, and the Passage for coffee.
• 12:30: lunch near Plein or Noordeinde, then tram 9 from Centraal.
• 13:00 to 16:00: Madurodam.
• 16:00 onwards: tram 9 on to Scheveningen for the beach, or back to the station.

Our post on The Hague in one day lays out the centre half in detail. Note that the Mauritshuis is closed for maintenance until 20 September 2026 and that Girl with a Pearl Earring is on loan until 4 October 2026; our Mauritshuis visitor guide has the details.

What age is Madurodam best for?

Roughly 4 to 12, with the sweet spot around 6 to 10.

• Under 4: free, and they will enjoy the playgrounds and the trains, but they will not understand the miniatures and the day will be as long as their nap schedule allows.
• 4 to 12: this is the audience the park is built for. Buttons to press, water to control, boats to launch, cheese to weigh, and models small enough to feel like theirs.
• Teenagers: honestly, a hard sell. The models are impressive for about twenty minutes. Unless they are interested in engineering, architecture or model railways, take them to the beach or to Rotterdam instead.
• Adults without children: it depends on you. If you like model villages, engineering, Dutch water management or the story of George Maduro, 90 minutes here is a pleasant and slightly moving visit. If you are in The Hague for art, politics or the sea, spend the €22.50 elsewhere.

Worth it if, not worth it if

Worth it if:

• You have children aged roughly 4 to 12.
• The forecast is poor and you want an outdoor day with indoor fallbacks.
• You are staying in The Hague for two or more days and have the time.
• You want a quick, tangible overview of Dutch landmarks before travelling the country, or a recap at the end.
• You are interested in the George Maduro story and the charity behind the park.

Not worth it if:

• You have one day in The Hague and no children: the Mauritshuis, the Peace Palace visitor centre, Panorama Mesdag and the centre itself are a better use of the day.
• Your children are teenagers and would rather be at the beach.
• You are relying on the Museumkaart to keep costs down.
• Your budget is tight: a family of four pays €90.00 or more before food, and the beach costs nothing.

What to do instead if you skip it

• The Mauritshuis (reopens 21 September 2026): €21.00, free under 19, Museumkaart accepted, 60 to 90 minutes. A private Mauritshuis tour with one of our guides makes the most of a short visit.
• Panorama Mesdag: €17.50, free under 19, Museumkaart accepted, 45 minutes. A 14.6 metre high, 114.5 metre round painting of Scheveningen as it looked on 1 August 1881. Children like it more than parents expect.
• The beach at Scheveningen: free, tram 1 or 9 from the centre.
• Museon-Omniversum: a hands-on science museum with a dome cinema in the Statenkwartier, open daily including Mondays, the best rainy-day option for children who are too old or too young for Madurodam.

Frequently asked questions

Is Madurodam worth it for adults?

For most adults on a short visit, no. The miniatures take about an hour and the rest of the park is aimed at children. If you enjoy model making, engineering or Dutch history, or you want a compact overview of the country’s landmarks, it is a pleasant 90 minutes. Otherwise the Mauritshuis, Panorama Mesdag or the beach are better uses of the afternoon.

How long do you need at Madurodam?

Two to three hours with children, and up to four if they settle in at the playgrounds. Adults who only want the miniatures can do a full lap in 60 to 90 minutes. Add the tram ride of about 10 minutes each way from Den Haag Centraal, and lunch if you eat in the park.

Does the Museumkaart work at Madurodam?

No. Madurodam states in its FAQ that the Museumkaart is not valid. Everyone aged 3 and over pays the full price, €22.50 online with dynamic pricing or €26.00 at the counter. The pass does work at the Mauritshuis, Panorama Mesdag and Kunstmuseum Den Haag if you want to use it elsewhere in the city.

Is Madurodam open on Mondays?

Yes. Madurodam is open 365 days a year, including Mondays and public holidays. Hours vary by season, so check the date you are planning on the park’s opening hours page. Mondays are also a good day for it because several museums in The Hague, including Kunstmuseum Den Haag and Escher in Het Paleis, are closed.

Which tram goes to Madurodam?

Tram 9 from Den Haag Centraal or Hollands Spoor towards Scheveningen Noord stops at Madurodam, right in front of the entrance, in about 10 minutes. Bus 22 towards Duindorp also stops there. The same tram 9 continues to Scheveningen Noord, so you can go on to the beach afterwards without changing.

Can you visit Madurodam and Scheveningen on the same day?

Yes, and it is the most sensible way to do it. Start at Madurodam at opening time, spend two to three hours, then take tram 9 two or three stops further to Scheveningen Noord and walk to the beach and the pier. Doing it in reverse rarely works because the beach is hard to leave.

Is Madurodam good in the rain?

Better than most outdoor attractions. Seven indoor attractions, covered restaurants and a shop give you about an hour under a roof, and the paths drain well. The miniatures are outside, so bring raincoats. In steady rain with young children, Museon-Omniversum in the Statenkwartier is fully indoors and may be the better choice.

See the centre with a guide, then the park on your own

A morning private walking tour of The Hague with one of our guides covers the historic centre in two hours and finishes wherever suits you, including a tram 9 stop for Madurodam. Because the tour is private, the start time and route are yours to set, and our guides work in English, Dutch, German, French, Italian and Spanish. If you would rather explore at your own pace, our self-guided audio tour of The Hague covers the same ground for a fixed low price.