Windmill Island Gardens

SPONSORED BY THE Holland AreaVisitorsBureau, WE'LL BE EXPLORING ALITTLESLIC OEF THE NETHERLANDS ATWINDMILL ISLAND GARDENS.WHAT IS THE FUN HISTORY OF THISBEAUTIFUL PLACE AND WHAT ELSEWILL YOU ENJOY?

PUT ON YOURWOODEN SHOES, WE'RE STROLLINGTHE GROUNDS THIS MORNING.mm mi vay cay openAS A DUTCH GIRL, YOU BETTERBELIEVE I'D LOVE A TRIP TO THENETHERLANDS, SO THAT'SDEFINITELYNOT GOING TO HAPPEN RIGHT NOW.WHAT'S EVEN BETTER IS I CANDRIVE 30 MINUTES WEST RIGHT HERETO WINDMILL ISLAND GARDENS.HOW ABOUT YOU AND YOUR FAMILYMAKE IT PART OF YOUR FAMILYPLANSTHIS USMMER?HI I'M MATT HELMUSWITHWILD GARDENS DEVELOPMENT MANAGERHERE IN THE CITY OFHOLLAND.

SO WINDMILL ISLANDGARDENS HAS BEEN HERE OVER 55YEARS WERE OWNED BY THE CITY OFHOLLAND AND WE CAME TOBE, BECAUSE PEOPLE WANTED A SITETO SHOW OUR DUTCH HERITAGEHERE IN HOLLAND.

SO THE CITYFATHERS GOT THE IDEA TO BRING ANACATUL DUTCH WINDMILL HERE FROMTHE NETHERLAND S,ANDTHEY WERE ABLE TO DO SO THE LASTONE ALLOWED T LOEAVE.

AND THEN,AROUND, AROUND THAT WINDMILLOVER THE YEARS WE'VE BUILT UPTHINGS WE'VE GOTTEN MORE ANDMORE ATTRACTIONS AND REPLICAS.SOWE'VE JUST ADDED A LOT OF DUTCHTHEMES WE'VE ADDED GARDENTHEMES, IT'S JUST A FUN SPOT TOCOUNT.

SO HERE ON ISTE WE HAVEWHAT WE CALL OUR THREE DUTCHTREASURES.

SO OBVIOUSLY THEWINDMILL CAME FROM THENETHERLANDS IN 1965, THE LASTONE ALLOWED TO LEAVE.

IT'S AVERYHISTORIC BUILDING WE AVHE STATEAND NATIONAL RECOGNITION.

WEHAVE OUR CAROUSEL, THE KIDS LOVETO RIDE THAT'S ACTUALLYAUTHENTIC FROM THE NETHERLANDSAS WELL.

AND THEN WE HAVE OUR STORGAN THAT CAME FROM THE CITY OFAMSTERDAM AS A WAY TO SAY THANKYOU TO THE CITY OF HOLLAND AFTERWORLD WAR TWO, FOLKS HEREDONATED A LOT OF MONEY ANDCLOTHES AND FOOD BACK TO THENETHERLANDS.

AND THEN WHE AVE ALOT OF REPLICA STRUCTURES.

SOOUR GIFT SHOPS OR REPLICASTRUCTURES OUR POST HOUSE WHICHIS OUR VISITOR CENTER, WE TRYAND BRIN GA LOT OF THINGS LIKETHATSO IT FEELS LIKE A LITTLE SLICEOFEUROPE HERE IN HOLLAND, SOPEOPLE COME TO VISIT US FROM ALLOVER THE PLACE WE USUALLGY ETABOUT 125,000 VISITORS EVERYYEAR, USUALLY FROM EVERY SINGLESTATE AND TERRITORY IN THEUNITED STATES AND THEN FROM ALOTOF DIFFERENT COUNTRIES.

THENEATEST THING IS WHEN PEOPLECOME FROM THE NETHERLANDS ORGERMANY IN THAT AREA JUST TO SEEHOW WE'RE DOING THINGS AND MAKESURE WE'RE NOT BEING TOOKITSCHY, AND THEY SAY, MAN, IFELTLIKE A LITTLE SLICE A HOLE HERE,THOSE ARE THE COOLEST COMMENTSWE GET FROM VISITORSW HEN MILLIS JUST A VERY HISTORIC BUILDINGWE'VE DONE MORE ANDMORE RESEARCH WE LEARN SOMETHINGEVERY TIME WE GO INTOIT, IT'S IT'S BEEN HERE FOR 55YEARS, BUT IT'S WELL OVER ACOUPLE DECADES IF NOT CENTURIESOLD.

IT'S ACTUALLY PARTS.

IT WASTWOPARTS OF TWO D OLMILLS THAT WEREPUT TOGETHER.

IT'S A GRAIN IMLLSO WEACTUALLY STILL USE IT TO GRINDGRAIN, WHEN THE WIND ALLOWS USTO, YOU CAN GO UP, AND WHEN YOUVISIT, YOU CAN COME HERE ANDGET A TOUR OF IT, AND YOU CAN GOUP TO THE GALLERY AND GET AGREATVIEW OF OUR SITE.

IT HASWINDMILLSONLY HAVE TWO BLADES, A LOT OFPEOPLE THINK THEY HAVE FOUR BUTIT'SACTUALLY ONLY TWO LONG BEANSTHAT ARE 08 FEET LONG, EACH.

SOIT'SHUGE, IT'S GREAT TO GO IN, IT'SAWORKING MACHINE.

SO WHEN PEOPLEGO IN THERE THEY CAN, IF THEY'REANENGINEER, THEY GET ALL GEEKEDABOUT THE GEARS AND THINGS LIKETHAT.

PEPOLE CAN LEARN ABOUTAGRICULTURE IN THERE YOU CANLEARN ABOUT FOOD BECAUSE YOU'RESEEING HOW WHEAT GETSTURNED INTO GRAIN, AND PEOPLECAN TAKE IT HOME AND THEN BUY ITAND MAKE IT NTIO BREAD ORCOOKIESOR WHATEVER ELSE THEY WANT TOIT'SJUST AN AMAZING BUILDING ANAMAZING MACHIN,E AND THE TULIPSBLOOM IN MAY, EARLY OR LATEAPRIL TO EARLY MAY, WE GET 10SOF 1000S OF VISITOSR PEOPLEKNOW US FOR OUR TULIP TIMEFESTIVAL HERE IN HOLLAND, BUTAFTER THAT YOU'RE RIGHT WE PULLALLTHE TULIPS, FROM THE BEDS ANDFROM THE FIELDS, AND LAL THE BEDAREAS WE REPLANT WITH ANNUALSEVERY YEAR WITH A DIFFERENTGARDENTHEME SO THIS YEAR OUR THEME ISMUSIC, SO WE WILL HAVE DIFFERENTMUSICAL TYPE EBDS ALL AROUND THEISLAND, AND I ACTUALLY LIKE THISTIME MORE, WE CALL IT OUR PEAKWEEK IS THE END WEEK OF JULY,ANDFULSOL, VISIT BECAUSE THAT'SREALLY THE WEEK THAT OUR ANNUALSAND PERENNIALS REALLY LOOK THEBEST.

I LIKE THAT BETTER THAN TOHAVE TIME IT'S NOT SO BUSY, YOUCANCOME AND ENJOY OURB EAUTIFULFLOWERS WITHOUT SO MANY 1000S OFPEOPLE HERE SO OREGON IS ANOTHERONE OF THE KEY PIECES WEHAVE HERE AND THAT WAS ACTUALLYA GIFT FROM THE CITY OFAMSTERDAM IN 1947 TO THE CITY OFHOLLAND, THE SCHOOL KIDSTHERE ACTUALLY RAISED MONEY TOBUY THIS ORGAN FROM A PRIVATECOLLECTOR, AND THEN THEY SENT ITTO THE CITY OF HOLLAND AS ATHANK YOU FOR AFTER WORLD WARTWO, HOLLAND RESIDENTS HEREON DUTCH HERITAGE SENT A LOT OFMONEY AND FOOD BACK TO THEOLD COUNTRY TO KIND OF HELP THEMREBUILD.

SO THIS IS A THANK YOUGIFT,AND IT STILL RUNS IT'S ANAMAZING,COOL PIECE OF MUSICALINSTRUMENT, AN DTO PLAY ADIFFERENT KIND OF MUSIC WE'VECOMPLETED THE BEACH BOYS ON IT,WE CAN PLAY WHATEVER WE WANT TODO, IT'S KIND OF LIKE A PLAYERPIANO ACTUALLY WELL ALONG WITHOUR STRUCTURES ANDROU REPLICAS, OUR STAFF, WE LIKETOHAVE THEM IN DUTCH COSTUME, ANDTHEY'RE THERE TO ANSWERQUESTIONS ABOUT OUR BUILDINGSABOUT THE EXPERIENCE, SO PEOPLECAN COME AND LEARN AND ASK THEMQUESTIONS AND THEY'REREALLY THE KEY OF OUR PARK, SODEFINITELY WHEN YOU'RE HERE, ASKTHEM QUETSIONS AND HOPEFULLY WEWILL EVEN KNOW THE ANSW TERHEYCAN DEFINITELY FIND YOU THEANSWER.

COLLEGE IS A GREAT PLACEWE KNOW WE'RE KNOWN FOR THE LAKEWE HAVE A BEAUTIFUL WHITEHOUSE IN BEAUTIFUL DOWNTOWN, ANDLOTA OF PEOPLE DOLOOK FOR OUR DUTCH HERITAGE HEREDAN WE'RE A GREAT PLACE HEREWITH OIL AND GARENDS.

YOU CANCOME, YOU CAN VISIT THEWINDMILL, YOU CAN VISIT OUROTHER OUR CAROUSEL OR OREGON ORBEUTAIFUL GARDENS, THERE'SREALLY SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE TOHAV AE GOOD TIME HERE.LEARN MORE ABOUT WIDNMILL ISLANDGARDENS AND DISCOVER MORE OFWHAT THE CITY OF HOLLAND HAS TOOFFER AT HOLLAND DOT ORG.