IJmuiden is the Netherlands' third sea harbour and is the port of access to Amsterdam. The development of the port began in the last century with the construction of the North Sea Channel and the sluices. In the historical room that presents the history of IJmuiden until 1930, the exhibition begins with the digging of the North Sea Channel. The men who dug the channel lived in shabby huts or shanties.
Visitors can see a channel digger's hut here.
A large model ship of the S.S. Rembrandt, the first ship to sail through the North Sea Channel on 1 November 1876, is also on show. The industry room shows how, once the North Sea Channel had been dug, industry made use of the easy access for water transport. Van Gelder Papier, Hoogovens and the offshore industry all made use of the new channel. The exhibition is brought to life by a model of a drilling platform and a production platform. Various model ships and objects used in the fishing industry and a North Sea aquarium fill the Fishing Room.