Museums, Arts and Culture in Amsterdam

The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is the first major national museum to open 365 days a year to the public.

You will find the Van Gogh Museum just behind the Rijksmuseum. The museum contains the largest collection of van Gogh’s paintings in the world. The displays provide the opportunity to keep track of the artist’s developments or compare his paintings to works by other artists from the 19th century. The museum also holds an extensive offer of exhibitions on various subjects from 19th-century art history.

Amsterdam, a metropolis? Yes, and also small, friendly and unconventional. The city of Johan Cruyff, Rembrandt, Ajax, the Red-Light District, the United East India Company and marijuana. The capital of the Netherlands. A 1000-year-old commercial city on the water, where entrepreneurship, creativity, citizenship and freedom all meet the eye. In the ancient monument that is the Amsterdam Museum you can see, read, hear and taste how the city came about and why it was – and still is – what it is.

Near the Westerkerk (Wester church), in the center of Amsterdam, you can find the hiding place where Anne Frank wrote her famous diary. The Diary of Anne Frank is one of the most widely read books in the world. The original diary is on display as part of the Anne Frank House permanent exhibition. The museum is very busy during the season, so be prepared to wait in the queue.

Visit the Rembrandt House Museum in Amsterdam, where the famed painter once operated his largest studio before facing financial difficulties.
The house was built around 1606 and was renovated around 1627, probably under the supervision of Jacob van Campen. It was then given an extra floor and a new facade with a triangular pediment. Rembrandt bought it on 5 January 1639 for thirteen thousand guilders. After his bankruptcy, it was auctioned in 1658 and sold for eleven thousand guilders. In the following centuries it was used as a residence and was renovated several times.

The Jewish historical Museum is located near the Waterlooplein. Opened as a museum in 1987, this four building complex consists of four synagogues built by Ashkenazi Jews during the 1600s and 1700s. The museum displays the long history of Jews in Holland.

The Jewish Museum features the Jewish Museum junior where children of all ages are encouraged to connect with Jewish culture.

This museum is centrally located in the East part of Amsterdam. The exhibition describes Dutch resistance in everyday life during the German occupation. It takes visitors back to the thirties and forties by using street scenes and house interiors. It tells the story of people who were confronted with dilemmas during the German occupation, and were forced to make choices.

The Heineken Experience is located at only a 15 minutes walk from the Leidseplein.
The world-famous Heineken® Brewery opened in 1867, but the 21st century is still a dam good time for beer in the heart of Amsterdam. Experience the history of Heineken and determine your own course through the Heineken of today. Experience the speed of a bottling line as a bottle of Heineken. Test your knowledge of brewing and enjoy a good glass of Heineken. Heineken stands for enjoying life.

At the Dam you will find the Amsterdam branch of this world-famous wax work museum. Meeting famous pop stars, glorious Dutch painters, and international celebrities. From past to present, Madame Tussaud’s proudly presents them all! Step back in time and witness Holland’s Golden Age.

Near the Central Station, you will find the Dutch Maritime Museum. The museum is housed in the National Naval Depot, which is a former arsenal of the Dutch Navy, over 300 years old. The unique collection tells the story of the maritime past of the Netherlands, It brings you back to the past times of trading voyages, Amsterdam in the Golden Age, the Dutch East India Company (VOC), and the overseas colonies.

See, smell, listen and be afraid, very afraid. All your senses will be on red alert at the Amsterdam Dungeon as you take a spooktacular walkthrough adventure into the 500-year-old history of Amsterdam. Enjoy 7 shows, meet a cast of characters, and prepare for goosebumps. Screaming encouraged.

See more than 500 nearly unbelievable exhibits, from actual shrunken human heads to one of the swords used by Mel Gibson in the epic ‘Braveheart’.
Robert Ripley toured the world, returning with surprising information and peculiar artifacts. At Ripley’s Believe It or Not Amsterdam you can benefit from his years of hard work as you wander the five floors of (nearly) unbelievable artifacts. Start at the entrance, by taking a selfie with the world’s tallest man. And then dive deeper and deeper into a comprehensive collection of fascinating oddities.

Science and technology buffs will find NEMO (The National Center for Science and Technology) to be one of the most interesting destinations in Amsterdam.
This science and technology center is the largest science museum in the Netherlands. Unlike most of the architecture in parts of Amsterdam, NEMO is more modern. The exterior of the building resembles a massive green ship docking on the Oosterdok (originally the building was copper but has turned green over time).
The museum is as interactive and entertaining as possible, catering to the wants and needs of parents and their children.

When was the last time you had a really good look at yourself? Amsterdam’s own BODY WORLDS peels back the layers to offer a fascinating glimpse into the inner workings of real human bodies. And it goes a step further, asking the most important question of all – what makes us happy?
Experience the scientific phenomenon that’s taken the whole world by storm and see over 200 perfectly preserved human bodies right in the heart of Amsterdam

It is the city’s most modern and contemporary art museum, containing works by Picasso, Monet, Cézanne, and Mondrian. Its restaurant with a terrace is overlooking the sculpture garden. Exhibitions change constantly, with recent acquisitions not only in paintings and sculpture, but also in drawing, painting, and photography.

The 19th-century building was designed by Adriaan Willem Weissman and the 21st-century wing with the current entrance was designed by Benthem Crouwel Architects. It is located at the Museum Square in the borough Amsterdam South, where it is close to the Van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum, and the Concertgebouw.

Located in a beautiful static building in the East part of Amsterdam, you will find the Tropenmuseum. It is the largest anthropological museum in the Netherlands. Its realistic reconstructions of local environments and attractive displays of exhibits from the museum’s huge collections draw visitors into the daily lives of the people of the tropics and subtropics. A special program for children is provided.

The Modern Contemporary Museum Amsterdam (Moco) is located inside Villa Alsberg, a townhouse that dates back to 1904, bang in the heart of Amsterdam’s Museumplein. See more than 50 original Banksys next to works by other artworld trailblazers like Kusama, Roy Lichtenstein, Dali, and more! The museum also features ever-revolving exhibitions.

At Amsterdam’s WONDR Experience, you can touch, sing, dance, and even dive into a sea of marshmallows (yes, really!). Share the joy and feed your imagination. To tell you anything else might spoil it – just get in there and feel the WONDR.

At the Amsterdam Houseboat Museum, you get the chance to experience first-hand what it’s like to live on the canals in a houseboat in Amsterdam. The museum is located in the “Hendrika Maria”, a former cargo ship built in 1914. The cargo hold is now a cozy living space featuring all the conveniences and a surprising amount of space and comfort.

The Allard Pierson Museum is the archeological museum of the University of Amsterdam. Egyptology, Greek Mythology, Etruria, and Roman artifacts are exhibited in this museum of Mediterranean culture. The collections, dating from 4000 B.C. till 500 A.D., give visitors a comprehensive insight into life in Antiquity.

Ons ’Lieve Heer op Solder, translated means “Our Lord in the Attic“, During the 17th century, the catholic religion was officially forbidden to practice the Catholic religion. Dutch Catholics were forced to worship secretly in private churches. The last of these clandestine churches, now known as the Amstelkring Museum, Our Lord in the Attic, served as a parish until 1887.