🎮 Exploring the Bonami Games & Computers Museum in Zwolle: A Retro Gamer’s Paradise in the Netherlands

If you’re a fan of video games 🎮, old-school tech 💾, or nostalgic trips down memory lane 🕰️, the Bonami Games & Computers Museum in Zwolle is a must-visit.

I’ve always loved gaming — from Lemmings on our first family PC to Age of Empires, Warcraft, and modern titles like Baldur’s Gate 3. So when I found out that there’s a computer game museum just over an hour from Amsterdam 🚆, I knew I had to see it for myself.

Dennis, who’s equally obsessed with gaming 👾, joined me and a few friends to explore this massive playground for retro and modern gamers alike. If you’ve ever spent hours on your console as a kid, walking into this place feels like traveling back to your childhood ❤️.

🏛️ About Bonami SpelComputer Museum

📍 Where: Zwolle, Overijssel, the Netherlands
ℹ️ Info: Europe’s largest interactive gaming museum with over 3,250 m² of consoles, computers, and playable exhibits!

The Bonami SpelComputer Museum (which means “Games and Computers Museum”) started as a personal collection by John Groenewold, a Dutch computer enthusiast. Over time, his private stash of old consoles and computers grew so large that it turned into one of the Netherlands’ biggest tech museums.

Inside, you’ll find rows of vintage screens glowing softly, classic startup sounds playing in the background, and posters from every gaming era. The vibe is a mix of museum 🎓 + arcade 🕹️ + nostalgia overload 💖.

The building is split into three main zones:

• 🧠 The museum area: Learn about the history of computers and how technology evolved.
• 🎮 The console zones: Each section celebrates a different era — from Atari and Amiga to Sega, PlayStation, and beyond.
• 👾 The arcade halls: Flashing lights, pinball machines, and playable classics from the 80s and 90s.

It’s impossible not to smile when you see the computers many of us grew up with — giant beige monitors, floppy disks, and even old Windows startup screens 💻✨.

🕹️ Things to See and Do

🎮 The best things to do at Bonami Museum include exploring and reading about hundreds of old computers 💻, classic games 🕹️, and even playing them yourself! I was amazed 😍 by how large the museum section is — packed with vintage computers, old typewriters ⌨️, gaming consoles 🎮, and even retro telephones ☎️ on display. Everything is arranged in timeline order ⏳, from the earliest wooden machines 🪵 to the sleek modern computers we use today 💡.

There’s no “look but don’t touch” rule here — almost everything is interactive 🙌. You can explore, play, and relive decades of gaming history.

💾 The Vintage Computer Collection

Start with the early days of computing. Massive IBM systems, mechanical keyboards that click loudly, and floppy drives that remind you how data once fit on just a few megabytes. Kids born after 2000 will be amazed that these machines actually worked 😅.

🎮 Playable Retro Consoles

The real highlight — dozens of consoles set up to play. No glass cases, just plug in and enjoy!
🔥 Some of the classics you can try:

• 🦆 Duck Hunt (with the original Nintendo light gun!)
• 🍄 Super Mario Bros. — still as fun as ever
• 👾 Space Invaders — the one that started it all
• 🧱 Tetris, Sonic, and Street Fighter on old-school controllers

Each console has a small info card with its release year and short history, so you learn while you play 🧩.

👾 The Arcade Zone

Once you’ve wandered through the museum section, you’ll reach the arcade halls — buzzing with retro music, blinking buttons, and players of all ages. Rows of pinball machines 🧲, racing games 🚗, and multiplayer shooters fill the space.

The best part? Your entry ticket lets you play as long as you want! Whether it’s a quick nostalgic session or an all-day gaming marathon, it’s up to you 🎯.

👨‍👩‍👧 Perfect for Families

Kids love the flashing lights and colorful games, while adults recognize old favorites and share their stories. It’s a perfect rainy-day destination ☔ — fun, educational, and full of “Oh wow, I remember this!” moments.

☕ Café & Gift Shop

After hours of gaming, take a break at the museum café ☕. It’s small but cozy, serving sandwiches, snacks, and hot drinks. You can even grab a board game from the shelf 🎲 and relax before heading back into the arcade.

However, the gift shop 🛍️ left a mixed impression. It features a section of 3D-printed collectibles, but since Dennis and I also run a small 3D-printing business, we noticed several unlicensed designs being sold. For fairness to the original creators, I’d skip buying those items — though the displays are still cool to look at 👀.

That said, the museum’s friendly staff, well-kept machines, and clean setup more than make up for it. Everything feels lovingly maintained, and you can tell the people here truly care about gaming history 💙.

🚆 How to Get There

📍 Address: Ossenkamp 4, Zwolle
🕓 From Amsterdam: About 1 hour 10 minutes

🚗 By Car:

• Easy and comfortable option 🚘
• Free parking available at the museum 🅿️
• Accessible via highways A1 and A28
• Great for day trips with family or friends 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

🚆 By Train:

• Take a train from Amsterdam Centraal → Zwolle Station 🚄
• Fast, scenic, and comfortable journey 🌆
• Museum is located in North Zwolle 📍
• Continue by bus for the last short stretch 🚌

🚌 By Bus:

• From Zwolle Station, take Bus 3 or Bus 301 🚏
• Use 9292.nl (available in English) to plan your route 📱
• Ride takes about 20–30 minutes ⏱️
• Get off at Meppelerstraatweg, only a 5-minute walk (300m) 👣

💡 Travel Tip:

• Explore Zwolle’s city center 🧭 after your visit
• Enjoy local cafés ☕ and canals 🌉
• Visit Museum de Fundatie 🖼️ nearby

🎯 Final Thoughts

Whether you’re a lifelong gamer, a tech lover, or just curious about how computers used to look before smartphones existed 📱, the Bonami Games & Computers Museum is a gem 💎.

It’s more than a museum — it’s an interactive journey through gaming history. Every section is designed for fun and discovery. You’ll find families laughing over Pac-Man, friends competing in Street Fighter, and solo visitors quietly smiling at the hum of an old PC fan 💨.

Aside from the 3D-print issue, everything else about this place is a hit: well-organized, nostalgic, and packed with playable joy. A perfect day trip from Amsterdam that’s equal parts retro fun and learning 📚.

🚴‍♂️ Bike Taxi – Easy Ride in Amsterdam

Before catching your train to Zwolle, start your trip with a ride on the Bike Taxi 🌸 — a colorful and fun way to get to Amsterdam Centraal Station.

It’s eco-friendly 🌿, locally run 🇳🇱, and perfect for short transfers or canal-side photo ops 📸. The decorated bikes are a cheerful way to move around the city before your gaming adventure begins!

📞 Book direct: +31 612 977 991
🌐 More info: BOOK NOW

Note: Bike Taxi is a local experience and not affiliated with the Bonami Museum.