Amsterdam Museum: Admission, opening hours & info | Tickets | The Amsterdam Museum in the Netherlands is known far beyond the city’s borders and houses many artefacts and exhibits from different eras of Amsterdam’s history.
The Amsterdam Museum has temporarily moved
New address: Amstel 51, 1018 EJ Amsterdam
The H’ART Museum currently houses the Amsterdam Museum
It is located in the historical centre of Amsterdam at Kalverstaße 92, near Rokin and Nieuwezijds Voorburg, close to the Begijnhof. The permanent exhibition Amsterdam DNA and many varied exhibitions on a wide range of cultural themes attract visitors to the museum. Until 2011, the museum was known as the Amsterdam Historical Museum.
Visit to the Amsterdam Museum
You can learn all about the city’s vibrant history at the Amsterdam City Museum. The permanent exhibition Amsterdam DNA gives visitors an excellent overview of the history of the canal city within an hour. In addition, the museum organises introductory lectures, exciting guided tours, and special events on specific themes. The museum also manages the city’s significant art collection.
Admission prices Amsterdam Museum
In my list of the most highly recommended online tickets for Amsterdam, Amsterdam’s historical museum is not at the top, but it is still one of the most important museums in the city. Online tickets purchased in advance can be used any day during the museum’s opening hours.
| Amsterdam Museum | Price* | Tickets |
|---|---|---|
| Adults 18+ | 18,00 € | Book Online |
| Teenagers 0-17 years | Free | Book Online |
Prices are subject to change. The provider’s current price always applies. Children from 0-4 years have free admission.
🎟️ Holders of the Amsterdam Pass from Tiqets receive a 10% discount on many admission prices. Art lovers and museum fans can find out more about this exciting discount card in the Amsterdam Passes section of the Amsterdam Pass from Tiqets.
History of the Amsterdam Museum
As early as the 17th century, citizens of Amsterdam began collecting important exhibits to mark special events. Exhibits, such as archaeological finds or important paintings by great artists, were initially collected in the town hall. Over the years, the first exhibitions were organised in the Kunstkammer. The collection was gradually expanded through donations or the purchase of additional objects.
In 1808, the Amsterdam City Hall was converted into the Royal Palace for Louis Bonaparte, and the objects collected up to that point were made accessible to city citizens under the name National Museum. In 1817, some artefacts were moved to the Royal Rijksmuseum in Klovenburgwal. Other exhibits were housed in the newly built town hall in the Prinsenhof. The art collection proliferated. The old premises soon needed to be more significant. In 1895, the Amsterdam city planners had the current home of the Rijks- and Stedelijk Museum built on the Museumplein in Oud-Zuid. In 1906, the first large permanent exhibition of artefacts from the city’s history was opened in the Stedelijk Museum. Soon afterward, the idea was born to separate historical artefacts from modern art objects and to focus the exhibitions on the various subject areas.
Since then, the Stedelijk Museum has exclusively presented exhibits of modern art. After a lengthy planning phase, Amsterdam’s historical museum finally opened its doors in an old building complex on the occasion of Amsterdam’s 650th anniversary. In the 1960s, the city bought the building complex of the city’s former orphanage and began to restore the dilapidated premises extensively. The museum opened in its new premises on Kalverstraat on 27 October 1975. In 2011, extensive building work was carried out in the museum, which meant it was closed for a while. After reopening, it became known under its current name, the Amsterdam Museum.
What can you see at the Amsterdam Museum?
The collection in Amsterdam’s historic museum comprises around 80,000 exhibits – including valuable works of art. In addition, there are magnificent individual pieces such as paintings, prints, drawings by famous artists or sculptures, furniture and other furnishings, and handicraft objects made of glass and ceramics. The exhibits cover different eras of the city’s history.
Learn more about everyday objects in the Middle Ages and discover exciting facts from Amsterdam’s city history. The museum also displays a large selection of objects found by scientists during archaeological excavations in the city.
The waiting times
The queues at the ticket desks at the entrance to the museum vary in length depending on the time of day. However, friendly and fast-working museum staff ensure the waiting time is short. They can also provide you with further information about your visit to the museum. If you want to get in quickly, buying your tickets in advance is best.
Buy Online Tickets – Amsterdam Museum
The opening hours
| Amsterdam Museum | Opening Times |
|---|---|
| 1 January to 31 December | 10:00 to 17:00 |
| 5, 24 and 31 December | 10:00 to 16:00 |
The museum will be closed on King’s Day, 27 April, and Christmas Day, 25 December.
General information
Before visiting Amsterdam’s historical museum, you should briefly familiarise yourself with the museum’s rules. Making phone calls, taking photographs, smoking, eating, and drinking are prohibited in the museum. Valuables can be safely stored in lockers in the entrance area.
The Amsterdam Museum is accessible to people with disabilities and has wheelchair-accessible toilets. Guide dogs have free access. The staff also offers unique guided tours tailored to the needs of people with physical disabilities. These must be booked in advance.
- Contact: boekingen@amsterdammuseum.nl
- or Tel.: +31 (0) 20 5231 730.
Of course, the artefacts and exhibits may need to be touched. Older people who find the walk through the museum too strenuous are welcome to borrow stools from the Service Point. This allows you to take a break at prominent points in the museum at any time and let the place affect you. On the museum grounds is a large café serving Dutch specialties and a souvenir shop where you can find a great souvenir of your visit to Amsterdam.
The souvenir shop
The souvenir shop in the Amsterdam Museum contains special mementos of your holiday in the Netherlands and your day in Amsterdam’s historical museum. A large selection of unique souvenirs invites visitors to shop. You can reach the shop directly at the museum exit.
The overall impression
Extensive art collections on the history of Amsterdam and many very unusual exhibits transport visitors to the most diverse eras of the city’s history. This way, you can find out how people lived back then.
You should take your time if you want to visit the museum. There is so much to discover. It’s well worth a visit!
Location and directions to the Amsterdam Museum
The exact address of the museum is:
Amsterdam Museum
- Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 359,1012 RM Amsterdam Netherlands
- Tel: +31 (0) 20 5231 822 or info@amsterdammuseum.nl
The Amsterdam Museum is just a fifteen-minute walk away if you are travelling by train. From Central Station, take the following route: Damrak, Dam and Kalverstraat. If you want to avoid walking, take the tram. Lines 2, 11, and 12 run past the museum. Get off at the stop: Spui. Lines 4, 14, and 24 also go in the right direction. It would help if you got off here at the stop: Rokin. Metro 52 also stops at this stop and will take you to the Amsterdam Museum in four to five minutes.
If you travel by car, take the A10 Ring motorway towards the city centre and the Centrum exit. Follow signs 🅿️, which will guide you to the parking garages in the city centre. If you want to park within walking distance of the museum, the underground car park De Kolk at Nieuwezijds Kolk 18 or the multi-story car park De Bijenkorf at Beursplein 15 are suitable. Otherwise, check the Mobypark car park. There is also a bus stop for coaches from abroad at Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal.
Why is a visit to the Amsterdam Museum worthwhile?
Amsterdam’s museum has a modern design, and you can learn countless background facts about the city’s exciting past, present, and future. The popular permanent exhibition Amsterdam DNA vividly explains Amsterdam’s history to visitors and contains impressive exhibits. There are also new temporary exhibitions at regular intervals and significant events, and you can take part in interesting guided tours anytime.
Incidentally, the museum is located in a historic building. The former orphanage of Amsterdam, which in the Middle Ages was a well-known convent with its brewery! Culture enthusiasts can’t avoid a visit to the Amsterdam City Museum anyway.
