Magic museum Stedhûs Sleat

Visitors to Sloten should not go past the Stedhûs Sleat Museum, not only for learning much of the town’s history but also for meeting some well-known residents. The museum is situated in the former Sloten town hall. The beautiful roof construction with pine and pile wood beams is original and dates back from 1759 – 1761 when the town hall was first built.

Magic lanterns

The tour through this beautiful building starts in the attic where the magic lanterns collection of Sloten resident Peter Bonnet (1898 – 1979) is on display under the title Laterna Magica. His passion for magic lanterns was inherited from Bonnet’s uncle, who travelled any distance to give performances. As a child, Bonnet was often allowed to join his uncle and from an early age he was captivated by this very special type of projector. He got his first magic lantern in 1913. It was the start of an impressive collection, in fact one of the largest collections in Europe.

Children

In the attic above the entrance hall a special area has been set aside for children to make them acquainted with the magic of magic lanterns. There is even a magic lantern they may operate by themselves, allowing them to project their own drawings. On request, children may put up their own shadow show.

Multimedia presentation: Sloten, the ideal town
The former town hall has some very special rooms, including the Council Chamber or “Court Chamber”. The stuccowork in Louis XVI style dates back from 1791. This is the place where the multimedia presentation “Sloten, the ideal town” is shown every 30 minutes. More of the history of Sloten in the reception hall. Eye-catching is a beautiful scale-model made by the last toll collector in Sloten. It shows what Sloten looked like in 1953. The enormous print on the curved wall behind is a replica of a map drawn by Nicolaas van Geelkerken in 1616. Slots in the wall are telling the town’s history.

Another remarkable room is the mayoer’s room, decorated with a mantelpiece and 18th century wall tiles. Only four mayors have ever been using this room. The former town clerk’s office is housing varying (art) exhibitions. The themes on display are very diverse.

The former town hall, currently home of the Stedhûs Sleat Museum, is one of the most impressive buildings on the Heerenwal. The town hall lost its official purpose in 1984 when the municipality of Sloten merged with the municipality of Gaasterland to become the Gaasterlân-Sleat district. Adjacent to the historic Dutch Reformed Church, the building has a prominent place in the town centre. It may be the best point of departure for a trip through the history of Sloten, the smallest and yet the most remarkable town in Friesland.