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Windmill Island is a municipal park located in the city of Holland, Michigan
Holland, Michigan

Holland is a city in the West Michigan region of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan on Lake Macatawa, which is fed by the Macatawa River ....
. It is home to the 245-year-old windmill
Windmill

A windmill is a machine that is powered by the energy of the wind. It is designed to convert the energy of the wind into more useful forms using rotating blades or sails....
 De Zwaan
De Zwaan

De Zwaan is an authentic Netherlands windmill in the city of Holland, Michigan, USA. The windmill's name is Dutch for The Swan or Graceful Bird....
, the only authentic, working Dutch
Netherlands

The Netherlands is a country that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands is located in North-West Europe, and bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east....
 windmill in the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
.

History
In 1964, the City of Holland purchased the windmill De Zwaan
De Zwaan

De Zwaan is an authentic Netherlands windmill in the city of Holland, Michigan, USA. The windmill's name is Dutch for The Swan or Graceful Bird....
 from a retired miller in the town of Vinkel in the province of Noord Brabant, the Netherlands. The windmill was shipped from the Netherlands to the port of Muskegon, Michigan
Muskegon, Michigan

Muskegon is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 United States Census, the city population was 40,105. The city is the county seat of Muskegon County, Michigan....
 on the ship Prins Willem van Oranje.






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Encyclopedia


Windmill Island is a municipal park located in the city of Holland, Michigan
Holland, Michigan

Holland is a city in the West Michigan region of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated near the eastern shore of Lake Michigan on Lake Macatawa, which is fed by the Macatawa River ....
. It is home to the 245-year-old windmill
Windmill

A windmill is a machine that is powered by the energy of the wind. It is designed to convert the energy of the wind into more useful forms using rotating blades or sails....
 De Zwaan
De Zwaan

De Zwaan is an authentic Netherlands windmill in the city of Holland, Michigan, USA. The windmill's name is Dutch for The Swan or Graceful Bird....
, the only authentic, working Dutch
Netherlands

The Netherlands is a country that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands is located in North-West Europe, and bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east....
 windmill in the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
.

History


In 1964, the City of Holland purchased the windmill De Zwaan
De Zwaan

De Zwaan is an authentic Netherlands windmill in the city of Holland, Michigan, USA. The windmill's name is Dutch for The Swan or Graceful Bird....
 from a retired miller in the town of Vinkel in the province of Noord Brabant, the Netherlands. The windmill was shipped from the Netherlands to the port of Muskegon, Michigan
Muskegon, Michigan

Muskegon is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 United States Census, the city population was 40,105. The city is the county seat of Muskegon County, Michigan....
 on the ship Prins Willem van Oranje. It was brought by truck from Muskegon to its present location on Windmill Island. Reconstruction of the mill began in 1964 and the park opened in April of 1965. The island, formerly farmed by Henry F. Koop, was chosen because of the favorable wind conditions there. Although originally a peninsula, a manmade canal turned the land into an assisted island. Before the arrival of De Zwaan, it was known as Hyma Island. On April 10, 1965, Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands
Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands

Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands , Prince of Lippe-Biesterfeld, born HSH Count Bernhard Leopold Friedrich Eberhard Julius Kurt Karl Gottfried Peter of Lippe-Biesterfeld , was Prince Consort to the late Queen regnant Juliana of the Netherlands, and father of 6 children; one of them is the current monarch, Beatrix of the Netherlands....
 became the first visitor to the park and presided over the grand opening. His ticket and the ten guilder
Guilder

Guilder is the English language translation of the Dutch language gulden ? from Old Dutch for 'golden'. The guilder originated as a gold coin but has been a common name for a silver or base metal coin for some centuries....
 bill he used to purchase it are still on display in the park today.

Windmill Island today

The park includes approximately of land along the Macatawa River and the swamp leading into Lake Macatawa.

Each year Windmill Island hosts approximately 55,000 tourists. The park is open daily from late April until early October, with the most visitors in early May during the Tulip Time Festival
Tulip Time Festival

Tulip Time Festival is an annual festival in Holland, Michigan. Tulip festivals are held in many cities around the United States of America that were founded or largely inhabited by Dutch people Dutch Americans....
. 150,000 tulips are planted on the island each year. In addition to the windmill, the park includes replicas of several historic buildings in the Netherlands. In the summer months, visitors may also see the klompen dance, traditionally performed by local high school students during the annual Tulip Time Festival
Tulip Time Festival

Tulip Time Festival is an annual festival in Holland, Michigan. Tulip festivals are held in many cities around the United States of America that were founded or largely inhabited by Dutch people Dutch Americans....
.

After Tulip Time season, tourists continue to enjoy the Island's attractions, and the park frequently hosts weddings and events. The Island's celebration pavilion can seat up to 300 people. Wedding ceremonies are typically held outside the park or in the Island's gardens, with receptions and banquets taking place in the pavilion. In late October, Windmill Island usually hosts a Halloween-themed event based on The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" is a short story by Washington Irving contained in his collection The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, written while he was living in Birmingham, England, and first published in 1820....
 or other stories.

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