In the 19th century there were twenty windmills in the town. Most of them ground grain for the distilleries. Nowadays there are five “giants” left which are characteristic for Schiedam.

Windmill De Walvisch (The Whale) (1794) has been fully restored after the big fire in 1996. The windmill grinds grain regularly. It has a shop with a large assortment of meal and other bakery products.

The sails of windmill De Drie Koornbloemen (The Three Cornflowers) (1770) are also turning regularly. This is the oldest of the existing windmills in the town. It is the only windmill with a miller’s house attached to it.

The third windmill is De Vrijheid (The Freedom) (1785) which usually turns its sails only during the weekend. The mill is fully equipped and has three pairs of millstones, one of which can be electrically driven in need.

Windmill De Noord (The North) (1803) houses a good restaurant. With its height of 33.3 metres, it is the highest windmill in the world. This mill’s grinding machinery is for the greater part intact.

The highlight in the recent history of the Schiedam windmills was the rebuilding of Windmill De Palmboom (The Palm Tree) (1781) which was completed in 1993. The windmill is now called Museum Windmill De Nieuwe Palmboom (The New Palm Tree). It shows the windmill history of Schiedam and the purpose of and activities within a traditional flourmill, explained by the miller himself. Every year the museum organises a new exhibition.