Playing With Kids In Haarlem: Haarlemmer Kweektuin

What’s one of the first things you do when you move to an area? For me, it’s walking. A lot of long walks to get the lay of the land and learn about my new area. On one such early walk in Haarlem-Noord, I happily found Haarlemmer Kweektuin, a fantastic park with playgrounds for kids, all of the natural scenery for me, and even some history too!

If you’re looking for one of the best parks in Haarlem, it has to be Haarlemmer Kweektuin. This sprawling 4.2-hectare park sees 50,000 visitors annually and yet there’s always plenty of space when we’ve visited. This park in Haarlem blends recreation, education, and sustainability with lots of beautiful flowers, too! Get ready to explore.

Haarlemmer Kweektuin, Haarlem-Noord, Haarlem, Netherlands; park in Haarlem

Get ready to see why we love hanging out in Haarlemmer Kweektuin:

(This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a certain percentage of a sale if you purchase after clicking at no cost to you. Thank you for your support.)

Basic Info

Address: Kleverlaan 9, 2023 JC Haarlem, Netherlands

Hours:

April 1 – September 30: Monday – Friday: 9:00am ~ half an hour before sunset; Weekends and holidays: 10:00am ~ 7:30pm
October 1 – March 31: Monday – Friday: 9:00am ~ 5:00pm; Weekends and holidays: 10:00am ~ 5:00pm

Website: www.haarlemmerkweektuin.nl

A Sustainable Oasis

The Haarlemmer Kweektuin, set on the historic foundations of the former City Nursery Garden dating back to 1909, has evolved into a vibrant community space that emphasizes sustainability, circularity, and innovation.

When you visit, you can see that Haarlem residents, local entrepreneurs, volunteers, and the municipality have jointly nurtured this space into a sustainable city park since its establishment in 2013 and they’ve done a fantastic job. The park is beautiful, but on top of that, they host regular events, BIO markets, and more to provide ample opportunities to the local residents.

Journey Through Nature

There’s a lot to explore in the park and there are various plants and garden areas that you can visit throughout the year to find different blooms and flowers, too. This why I head there fairly often on my daily walks. You never know what you’ll find in the well curated gardens.

Huis Ter Kleef

Not really much to see anymore, if you walk in the entrance and go into the gardens on the left, you’ll find the ruins of Huis Ter Kleef. It’s believed to have been built in the second half of the 13th century.

During the Siege of Haarlem in 1572, it was the headquarters of the Spanish army. It was subsequently blown up and damaged in 1573. It changed hands many times until it was purchased by the City of Haarlem in 1713. Today, you can climb on what is left of the ruins.

The only building left from the original castle, though it’s also believed to have been rebuilt because the foundation stones are older than the rest of the bricks, the Kaatsbaan can be seen upon entering through the front gate. Here there are various classes held for residents and locals.

What The Kids Will Like

The park features a few different areas for kids to play. There is a playground of discovery, a nature playground known as ‘Paddenpoel,’ the animal meadow, gnome path, and a tropical greenhouse the kids will probably want to check out.

If you’re near the cafe on the grounds, there’s a small playground set and wooden platforms for kids to climb on and test their athletic abilities. Check out the “bug hotel” and take a seat on one of the numerous benches here while your little ones pick up the stones and pebbles.

Just near that is a huge birdcage where kids can chatter with the chattering birds inside. This is a great area if you have younger children that don’t really need a ton of space to explore, but will be intrigued by the birds, the bugs, and the wooden stepping stones.

Our favorite play area by far is the nature playground called Paddenpoel. This area features some things that make it recognizable like a slide, but the majority of this area is built to hug nature and provide areas for children to learn how to use their ligaments effectively climbing, crawling, running, and more. This is a great area if you have a bit older children who you don’t mind losing sight of a bit.

Central to the park’s ethos is the concept of sustainable (re)construction, which extends to the park’s infrastructure, ensuring a minimal environmental footprint while maximizing community benefit. This is something you can definitely see as you walk through this area and into the areas beyond.

Eat In The Park

After all of that play, you’ll probably have some rumbling tummies and there’s a cafe on the grounds that comes in handy for that too. The Nursery Café is set in a greenhouse, but there’s also outdoor seating when the weather is nicer.

The cafe is also quite nice just to hang out during the week. There are plenty of food offerings for you and the kids you have with you. During the week, it’s pretty quiet though so you can take a book and relax if you want as well.

For families looking for things to do in Haarlem, especially those keen on combining fun with educational and sustainable activities, the Haarlemmer Kweektuin is a great spot to check out. It’s definitely one of the best parks in Haarlem for sure.

Did you like this post? Pin IT!