The Muiderslot was built in 1285 with one goal: defense! Over the years, the castle has been variously used, inhabited, occupied, demolished, rebuilt and refurbished. It has been a national museum since 1878. Shortly before that it was completely dilapidated and even almost demolished. That did not happen thanks to the intervention of King Willem I. The castle was restored under the direction of the architect Pierre Cuypers, also known for the Central Station and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.