Airborne Museum ' Hartenstein ' The Airborne Museum ‘ Hartenstein ’ in Oosterbeek , The Netherlands is a museum dedicated to the Battle of Arnhem , fought in September 1944 . During the battle the building was the headquarters of the British forces fighting in and around Oosterbeek and Arnhem . The Museum shows a diverse and extensive collection of original weapons , uniforms and equipment , alongside interviews , pictures and videos about the battle . In addition to this collection , the museum has an award - winning Airborne Experience exhibition , that depicts the area as it appeared during the battle . The museum also describes the German and civilian perspectives of the battle . History of the Hotel Hartenstein . Records suggest that in 1728 an inn , named ‘ Het Rode Hert ’ ( ‘ The Red Deer ’ ) , existed in Oosterbeek at the ' Utrechtseweg ' , an important crossroads . In 1779 a wealthy attorney to the Court of Gelderland named J . van der Sluys , bought the inn and the surround land . The inn was pulled down and a mansion with annexes was build on the plot . After completion the mansion was given the name ‘ Hartenstein ’ . After the death of Van der Sluys , ‘ Hartenstein ’ belonged to a variety of owners . In 1865 the present building was built on the site and next to it the owner built a coach house ( now the site of the restaurant ‘ Hartenstein @ Laurie ' ) . In 1905 the villa was expended with two conservatories . Finally , in 1942 , the Municipality of Renkum became the new owner and transformed it into a hotel . Operation Market Garden and the Battle of Arnhem . After the invasion of Normandy in June 1944 , the Allied troops made a quick advance to towards Germany . The supply troops could not keep up with the troops on the front line causing the advance to a halt . A new frontline was formed in Belgium and France . To avoid the Siegfried Line , Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery planned an operation in which Allied forces would occupy several bridges in the Netherlands between Eindhoven and Arnhem . If this mission succeeded , the road to Germany would be open . Operation Market Garden started on September 17th 1944 and ended in the morning of September 26th . In the end , Operation Market Garden failed due to a combination of factors . A lack of lift aircraft to transport the 1st Airborne and the Polish Brigade on the first day , poorly chosen drop and landing zones too far from Arnhem bridge , an unrealistic timetable for their relief by XXX Corps , and above all , intense German opposition by the unexpected presence of SS armoured forces in the Arnhem area . In the area around Arnhem more than ten thousand men of the British 1st Airborne Division and the Glider Pilot Regiment landed north of the Lower Rhine , whilst the Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade landed on its southern banks in order to capture the Arnhem Road Bridge . Over 700 men under the command of John Dutton Frost did manage to reach the bridge and held its northern ramp for 4 days , but the bulk of the British forces were engaged by superior German forces ( including the II SS Panzer Corps ) and became trapped in Oosterbeek . General - major Roy Urquhart chose ‘ Hartenstein ’ as his headquarters . After holding out north of the Rhine for nine days the Division had to be withdrawn , although just over 2 , 000 of the 10 , 000 men who had landed reached the Poles south of the river . The Allied troops lost the Battle of Arnhem and ‘ Hartenstein ’ was left in a heavily damaged condition . The museum . Shortly after the Second World War , plans were made to open a museum about the battle . In 1949 a museum was opened in Doorwerth Castle near the Rhine . Soon it became evident that the castle was not big enough to display the growing collection and a better location was sought . The Hotel ‘ Hartenstein ’ , which had resumed its role as a hotel after the war , was purchased for the role and on 11 May 1978 , General - major Roy Urquhart officially opened the Airborne Museum ‘ Hartenstein ’ . In 2008 , the museum temporarily closed its doors in order to renovate and expand and a brand new lobby and basement were added to the building . The basement was used to display the new ' Airborne Experience ' , a series of dioramas of the battle . The display was awarded the a Gouden Reiger ( “ The Golden Heron ” Dutch awards for audience interactions ) , in the category three - dimensional media . The museum was reopened in September 2009 , on the 65th anniversary of the Battle of Arnhem . Each year the Airborne Museum ‘ Hartenstein ’ is involved in events commemorating the Battle of Arnhem . It also serves as a gathering place for veterans , civilians and young people . The museum is close to the Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery where several hundred of the Allied casualties are buried . Every year the participants of the Airborne March pay a special tribute when the parade is held in front of the museum .