Few places vividly features a blend of American and European culture like Holland town in Michigan. Every year in May, the city celebrates Tulip Time, a two-week festival with Dutch dances in the street, art exhibitions, and thousands of tulips that carpet parks and the entire city.
One unique park, the Windmill Island Garden truly exemplifies the Dutch heritage surrounding the town. It comprises a 36 acres with a seasonal tulip fields and it is home to the “De Zwann”, the only authentic Dutch wind mill still operating in the USA.
De Zwann means the “graceful swan” and was originally built in 1761 in Kromminie, a city, south of the Netherlands, later moved to Vinkel and rebuilt in 1889. After World War II many windmills were seriously damaged and the Dutch government had a ban preventing the sale of mills abroad.
Holland-Michigan residents were looking for a way to pay tribute to the Dutch heritage the city inherited, so they began negotiations with Dutch government to buy a windmill. It was not an easy task due to the veto.
In the spring of 1965, De Zwann arrived in Michigan, making it the last Dutch Windmill to leave the Netherlands.
Today, visitors in the Windmill Island Garden can tour inside the De Zwann, now named a historic registered place, see it operating and learn the history of this magnificent windmill.
Besides, this main attraction, the park also offers other attractions like a street organ that previously played in the street of Amsterdam, a small village and a bridge.
