Planning a cultural trip to the beautiful Dutch capital? Here are our top 10 must-visit museums in Amsterdam.
Amsterdam is one of the world’s most popular city trip destinations. The charm of its canals with their 17th-century houses and its underground culture have made its reputation, not to mention its bike rides. The city perfectly combines historical heritage and trendy modernity. As well as being romantic, its cultural and scientific offerings, based on centuries of discovery, will delight many. It’s the perfect opportunity to leave with fond memories and a wealth of new knowledge.
Like most major capitals today, Amsterdam offers a city pass, the Iamsterdam card, which entitles you to discounts on admission to the main cultural buildings. Depending on what you want to see, this can be very attractive. Let’s just say that ticket prices can be quite onerous.
All you have to do is choose from this list of must-see museums in Amsterdam.
1. The Van Gogh Museum
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Visiting time: minimum 2 hours.
This is Amsterdam’s flagship museum, the one that attracts the tourist crowds! As its name suggests, it’s entirely devoted to the painter’s work, and boasts the world’s largest collection of his works.
Located on Museumplein, the museum is designed to cover Van Gogh’s entire career, from his beginnings to his end at Auvers-sur-Oise. Works by other artists who influenced Van Gogh, or were influenced by him, are also exhibited alongside his work. Finally, the top floor sheds some interesting light on the painter’s relationship with his brother, Theo, thanks to the preservation of their correspondence.
2. The Rijksmuseum
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Visiting time: minimum 2 hours.
It’s impossible to pass by this museum in Amsterdam without noticing it, as the building is so impressive. It is located on the Museumplein square, which it dominates royally.
Its collections present the history of Amsterdam from the establishment of the Republic to the Golden Age, among other things, through the presentation of historical objects. There are also rooms devoted to dolls’ houses, which were very popular with the nobility of Amsterdam for the education of young girls. But, of course, the star of the museum is its paintings department, featuring masterpieces by Rembrandt and Vermeer.
3. The Stedelijk museum
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Visiting time: minimum 2 hours.
Another must-visit Amsterdam museum on the famous Museumplein, the Stedelijk is entirely dedicated to modern art, with a section on Dutch design.
Here you’ll find all the major movements in modern painting, with big names like Matisse and Newman among the best-known. With its amusing presentations, the museum appeals to both informed and novice visitors.
4. Anne Frank House
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Visit time: approx. 1h30.
The queue along the canal heralds the arrival of Amsterdam’s must-see museum, which needs no introduction to the tragic story of Anne Frank, victim of the Nazi deportation of Jews.
The building, located in the Jordaan district, is where the young girl and her family hid to escape persecution. It was also here that the famous diary was written. The visit, which is very moving, traces her story and that of the places where she lived.
Please note: don’t even think of visiting the museum without booking your tickets in advance, sometimes 2 months in advance! Even then, you’ll still have to wait at the entrance.
5. Amsterdam Historical Museum
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Length of visit: 1 to 2 hours, depending on your level of interest.
Located in the heart of the city, in the building of a former orphanage, the museum invites you to discover the history of Amsterdam through paintings, objects, furniture and other archaeological finds, some of which are presented in a playful way. Its inner courtyard is a haven of peace, just a stone’s throw from the hustle and bustle of the central district.
And if you’re not sure what to do, the Civic Guard Gallery, part of the museum, is free to visit.
6. Rembrandt House
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Visit time: between 1h and 1h30.
There are definitely a number of must-see museums in Amsterdam, and this is one of them! This is not a reconstruction, but the real house where the painter lived. Thanks to archives, it has been refurnished and organized almost identically to show how the master lived and worked.
Last but not least, the museum boasts an impressive collection of engravings by Rembrandt. In short, if you’re an art lover, this is a not-to-be-missed visit to Waterlooplein.
7. NEMO
Photo credit: Shutterstock / S-F
Visiting time: 2 to 3 hours if you intend to touch everything.
Its original architecture, an unmistakable feature of the docklands landscape, quickly makes you want to visit this museum, and rightly so! So what’s it all about? Well, it’s a science and technology museum that’s proving a big hit, especially with young visitors.
Rest assured, adults with a childlike spirit are welcome too. On the program: experiments to understand gravity, magnetism and many other phenomena. As an added bonus, there’s a roof terrace to enjoy the view!
8. Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder
Photo credit: Shutterstock / Robert Mullan
Visiting time: 1h to 1h30.
Behind this mysterious name lies a must-visit museum in Amsterdam. Ranking among the oldest museums just behind Rijk, it’s a nugget. Its name translates as « Our Lord in the Attic » and actually conceals a Catholic church! Clandestine, it was built under the roofs of 3 typical 17th-century houses.
The labyrinthine tour leads from one house to the next. You go up then down to discover life in Amsterdam during the Golden Age, before arriving at this extraordinary attic church. If you want to learn more about the whys and wherefores of this atypical building, you’ve got no choice but to visit it! It’s well worth the effort, I promise.
9. Heineken Experience
Photo credit: Shutterstock / Winds
Visit time: approx. 1h30.
For some, it’s Amsterdam’s best-known museum, the place to discover all the secrets of this world-famous beer. But be warned: Heineken designed this museum just for tourists! The good cause? And if the superb boilers leave you speechless, you’re sure to be seduced by the dynamic mini-cinema that turns you into beer.
Of course, a generous tasting included in the ticket awaits you at the end. It’s said that some people lose their sense of balance.
10. Micropia
Photo Credit: Shutterstock / DutchMen
Visit time: approx. 2 hours.
If you’re a hypochondriac or have a phobia of small creatures, this museum is not for you. For the more daring, welcome to the Microbe Museum, the perfect candidate to round off our selection of must-see museums in Amsterdam!
For the record, it was in Amsterdam that the existence of micro-organisms was discovered in the 17th century. Less than 10 years old, the Artisa Zoo is dedicated to showcasing the immensity of the microscopic bug community. The ones we host on the outside… as well as on the inside. What’s more, most of the microbes on display are alive and well, and the scenography is playful and even artistic.
Other museums in Amsterdam
Photo Credit: Facebook / Foam Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam
Of course, this list is not exhaustive – it’s impossible to list all the museums in the city in a single article!
- For lovers of glossy paper, the FOAM photography museum and its nooks and crannies are sure to please. Hidden away in an old house, it hosts exhibitions by well-known names, and its small garden is full of charm.
- Fans of the 7th art are not left out with the new film museum on the waterfront. A permanent exhibition is dedicated to the history of cinema, temporary exhibitions are also organized and theatres screen classic films all day long.
- Finally, for those who swear by the open sea, Amsterdam’s Maritime Museum awaits you. This highly specialized museum is considered to be the world’s largest dedicated to navigation. The highlight of your visit is the discovery of a three-masted ship from the East India Company.