Culture
Overloon War Museum
Tanks, aircraft and stories on the battlefield
Overloon War Museum at a glance
20 minby car
15.8 kmdistance
- Location
- Overloon
- Address
- Museumpark 1, 5825 AM Overloon
- Open (2026)
- Mon to Fri 10:00–17:00, Sat and Sun 11:00–17:00
- Parking
- free, at the entrance
- Length of visit
- three to four hours
On the battlefield of Overloon
From 26 September to 18 October 1944, American and then British troops fought German armoured units and paratroopers here. After the shelling of 12 October, Overloon lay completely in ruins, and the Loobeek stream earned the nickname Bloedbeek, the stream of blood. More than a thousand soldiers were killed.
Tanks and other equipment were left behind on the battlefield. Harrie van Daal from Overloon suggested turning it into a museum, and on 25 May 1946 the British general Whistler opened it. The museum park, about a kilometre long, still lies on the site of the fighting.
The Battle of Overloon on oorlogsmuseum.nl (opens in a new tab)
Two football pitches of equipment
The Marshall Hall, as big as two football pitches together, always holds at least 150 vehicles, vessels and aircraft. You walk past a German Tiger and Panther, a British Churchill, an American Sherman and a T-34 from the Soviet Union; above you hang a Spitfire and a B-25 Mitchell, among others.
A large part of this collection came from the Marshall Museum in 2006. From 2006 to 2013 the museum was called Liberty Park.
Military equipment collection on oorlogsmuseum.nl (opens in a new tab)
A Lancaster and a cycle bridge
The exhibition The Netherlands in the Second World War shows how the occupation affected daily life; Kantelpunt Europa (Europe at a Turning Point) tells of the rise and fall of the Third Reich, and in D-DEX you experience D-Day.
In the Lancaster Pavilion, the British bomber NN775 has been rebuilt from more than 2000 pieces of wreckage, in honour of its seven crew members. And since 2019, a cycle bridge of some 90 metres has run straight through the hall at a height of three metres, modelled on a Bailey bridge.
Tip from reception
Allow three to four hours, as the museum itself recommends, and buy your ticket online in advance: it is € 1.50 cheaper than at the ticket office. If you bring your bike, ride over the cycle bridge through the hall: during opening hours it is free.
Reception team, Parkhotel Horst
Good to know
Three to four hoursThat is how much time the museum itself recommends for a visit.
Free parkingAbout a hundred spaces at the entrance, with two charging points.
Dogs and wheelchairsDogs are welcome on a lead. You can borrow a wheelchair free of charge at the museum.
Tickets and food€ 1.50 cheaper online than at the ticket office. You may eat your own food anywhere except in the museum café.
Photo Churchill: Paul Hermans (CC BY-SA 4.0); via Wikimedia Commons. Photo charging bay: Michael Marais via Unsplash; photo dog and wheelchair: Magdalena Smolnicka via Unsplash; photo picnic table: Jennifer R. via Unsplash.
Make a day of it
From the breakfast buffet to the War Museum, and back to your own wellness.
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Start the day at the breakfast buffet of Parkhotel Horst.
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A twenty-minute drive to Overloon, where the Marshall Hall holds at least 150 vehicles, vessels and aircraft.
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Back in Horst, the indoor pool, saunas and wellness lounge are waiting, free for hotel guests.
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End the day with dinner at restaurant BØFF.
Your room, wellness included
Six rooms, from the Comfort room to the Apartment. With every room you use the pool, saunas, steam room and lounge free of charge.
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Getting there
From the hotel it takes about:
Overloon War Museum, Museumpark, Overloon
Frequently asked questions
Any other questions? Call reception: +31 77 397 6000How long does a visit to the Overloon War Museum take?
The museum itself recommends three to four hours. From Parkhotel Horst it is about a 20-minute drive, 15.8 kilometres.
When is the Overloon War Museum open?
In 2026 from Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 17:00 and at weekends from 11:00 to 17:00. Closed on 1 January, 15 May and 24, 25 and 31 December; different hours apply on public holidays. Check oorlogsmuseum.nl before you go.
Is parking free and can you bring your dog?
Yes. There are about a hundred free parking spaces at the entrance, with two charging points. Dogs are welcome on a lead.
What is the cycle bridge through the Overloon War Museum?
A cycle bridge of about 90 metres that runs straight through the museum hall at a height of three metres, opened in 2019 and modelled on a Bailey bridge. During opening hours you can cycle across it for free and look down into the hall.
What happened at the Battle of Overloon?
From 26 September to 18 October 1944, first American and, from 7 October, British troops fought for Overloon. The village was completely destroyed and more than a thousand soldiers were killed. The museum lies on the battlefield.
What else is there to see about the war nearby?
The museum itself mentions the German war cemetery in Ysselsteyn and the British war cemetery nearby. With Venray Remembers you follow routes past the wartime history of Venray and the surrounding area.
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Photos of the cards: B. Hulshoff (CC BY-SA 4.0); via Wikimedia Commons.
Photos: Paul Hermans (CC BY-SA 4.0); via Wikimedia Commons.
After the War Museum: pool, wellness and dinner at BØFF
Twenty minutes from Overloon, you sleep surrounded by greenery, with your own wellness under the same roof.
