How a Truly Dutch Windmill Landed in Michigan
The city of Holland has worked hard to preserve its Dutch heritage by building a slice of the old country in town
Holland — Every spring, Holland becomes one of the most-visited destinations in the Midwest as millions of tulips bloom throughout town.
At the center of it all is Windmill Island Gardens, where a historic Dutch windmill, traditional buildings, and beautiful gardens create a small corner of the Netherlands in Western Michigan.
Now over 50 years old, the 36-acre park is one of the most recognizable attractions along Lake Michigan and blends many unique experiences into a single stop that’s perfect for the whole family to explore together.
While known for its beautiful landscaping, the park’s most striking feature rises high above the flowers: De Zwaan, the only authentic Dutch windmill currently operating in the U.S.
The mill’s story begins across the Atlantic. Built in the Netherlands and brought to Michigan in 1964, De Zwaan was the last working windmill the Dutch government allowed to leave the country. Today, it still stands as a fully functioning machine, its enormous sails catching the wind and turning the gears inside the five-story structure.
For longtime Holland resident Lucia Piecuch, spring is one of her favorite times to visit the island.
“The tulips are always beautiful in May,” Piecuch said. “Just rows and rows of brightly colored flowers make you feel like you are actually in Europe.”
Those rows of flowers—roughly 150,000 tulips in dozens of varieties—transform the island into a patchwork of reds, yellows, purples, and pinks. During peak bloom, Windmill Island becomes one of the most photographed places in the Midwest.
Besides the windmill, the island offers a variety of other Dutch-inspired attractions. A working street organ—gifted to Holland by the city of Amsterdam after World War II—fills the park with cheerful mechanical music. Nearby, a hand-painted antique carousel provides fun entertainment for children and adults.
Throughout the island, visitors can find replicas of traditional Dutch buildings, including fisherman’s houses, a wayside inn, and an orphanage. In another historic exhibit known as “Little Netherlands,” a detailed miniature display recreates life in the Netherlands during the 1840s—the same era when Dutch immigrants began settling the area that would eventually become Holland.
Windmill Island was built to preserve the history and heritage of those immigrants.
During the 1950s and 1960s, the city decided to take steps to intentionally preserve the city’s Dutch heritage. They envisioned a place where residents and visitors could experience that history through gardens, architecture, and cultural displays.
Bringing De Zwaan from the Netherlands helped bring that vision to life. When the windmill arrived in Michigan in 1964, it transformed the island into a one-of-a-kind attraction.
