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Museum · Pella, Iowa
Vermeer Windmill and Pella Historical Village
A Dutch-style windmill based on an 1850 design recreated in the Netherlands and assembled in Pella, with guided tours, next to a historical village with pioneers’ houses and workshops.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Discover
About Vermeer Windmill and Pella Historical Village
The Vermeer Windmill was built in the Netherlands following an 1850 mill design, disassembled, shipped in pieces to Iowa and assembled in Pella in 2002. It is one of the tallest working windmills in North America and still grinds grain. On the guided tour you climb the wooden floors up to the external gallery, with views over the roofs and the canal.
The admission includes Pella Historical Village, a group of more than 15 buildings that tell the town’s story since the 1840s: a pioneer sod house, a blacksmith shop, a bakery, a gristmill, a church and the house where Wyatt Earp, the Old West lawman, lived as a child. The miniature Dutch village, created in 1938 by local students, is on the same visit.
The village is open from mid‑March to December, and windmill tours run at fixed times during the day, Monday through Saturday; it is closed on Sundays. During Tulip Time, schedules and tickets change.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
From one and a half to three hours.
Best time
In spring, when the tulip beds around it usually bloom in late April and early May. During the festival week, buy tickets in advance.
How to get there
It’s in downtown Pella, one block from the central square and the Klokkenspel.
Tip
Reserve the guided windmill tour, which has limited spaces. Access to the milling floor involves high steps.
Official website
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about Vermeer Windmill and Pella Historical Village
Can you climb the Vermeer Mill?
Yes, on the guided tour, which climbs the wooden floors up to the outside gallery. There are fixed times and limited spaces.
Does the Vermeer Mill actually operate?
Yes: it’s a working windmill that still grinds grain, and the tour shows the gears and millstones.
What’s in the Pella Historical Village?
More than 15 historic buildings, such as Wyatt Earp’s childhood home, a blacksmith shop, a bakery, and a grain mill, plus a miniature Dutch village.