Amsterdam's Favourite Museums

Do you want to stand eye to eye with iconic paintings, dive into the city's history and get inspired? Amsterdam has numerous exquisite museums to offer. If you intend to visit Amsterdam's museums regularly we highly recommend purchasing a 'Museumkaart'. With this card, you can visit every museum in Amsterdam as often as you'd like. We've curated a list of the best museums for you, so all you need to do is reserve your ticket!

Rijksmuseum

Probably the most well-known museum of Amsterdam. And rightfully so! Rijksmuseum houses beautiful works from Dutch masters such as Van Gogh, Vermeer and Rembrandt. You can easily lose yourself walking through The Rijksmuseum. Be amazed by beautiful works that even go back for more than 800 years. The building itself is worth looking at a bit more closely, it was designed by the famous city architect Pierre Cuypers. 

And speaking of The Rijksmuseum. Are you in search of an unforgettable dining experience? Located in the ‘Philipsvleugel’ of the museum is restaurant ‘Rijks’ boasting a Michelin star and that is truly well-deserved in our opinion! Given Rijks’ popularity, be sure to make reservations in advance!

Museum STRAAT

In the industrial district ‘Amsterdam Noord’ you can find Museum STRAAT . In this continuously changing museum, you’ll find street art in all different styles, formats and techniques. Be inspired by works from 140 different artists from 32 nationalities. And when you’re in this part of Amsterdam, we recommend you take a walk around the NDSM district. This area is known for all its nice coffee places, (vintage) markets and other hotspots.

Stedelijk Museum

‘Het Stedelijk’ is known for its modern and contemporary visual art and design. You can find amazing works of Matisse, Warhol, Picasso and Rodin. Since there are many different artists, Stedelijk is a museum for a wide audience. Also, the museum shop is definitely worth a visit!

AMAZE

Be amazed by Amaze ! With 7 different stages, you can celebrate life with a 75-minute audiovisual journey. With interactive moments, art, 11-D sound, smoke, visual and light effects Amaze is a spot you will not get bored. Are you a fan of music, events and special effects? Then definitely put Amaze on your ‘to see list’!

Van Gogh Museum

The Van Gogh Museum is next to the Rijksmuseum the most famous museum of Amsterdam. In this museum, you can find all different kinds of art that have everything to do with the life and work of Vincent van Gogh. Obviously paintings but also letters and drawings. You can have a real insight of how Vincent van Gogh used to live. Also, there’s a part of the museum which is dedicated to his brother Theo van Gogh. Since this is one of the most popular museums in Amsterdam we recommend reserving your ticket in advance! 

H’ART

This museum has always housed some of the most unique and famous art, from antiquity to the present day. H’ART is a beautiful global art museum. The building of H’ART Museum historically began as a Diaconie Oude Vrouwen Huys in 1683, a sanctuary for displaced older city ladies. Until the 20th Century, the church hall in the home was the second largest in the city and was regularly used for worship. Winston Churchill even set foot in the building alongside the Amstel River.

A major renovation took place in the 1970s and after that, Amstelhof got a new purpose, that of a museum. Loans from the treasury of the St Petersburg Hermitage, a museum in Russia, made it possible to open as the Hermitage Amsterdam in a grand opening in 2009. 

FOAM

Are you into photography? FOAM is an international and diverse photography museum dedicated to making photography accessible to all. FOAM hosts regularly changing exhibitions and also offers debates, publications and educational programmes.

FOAM is located in a beautiful canal house in Amsterdam’s city centre. The building is even on the UNESCO world heritage list making it a must-visit destination!

NEMO Science Museum

Are you in good company of kids? If so, NEMO is a must-see! This interactive science and technology museum located near Central Station, inspires visitors of all ages. NEMO inspires about the power and special nature of science and technology. NEMO Science Museum is a day well spent!

Wereldmuseum

Wereldmuseum Amsterdam is housed in an impre ssive national monument. Featuring numerous temporary exhibitions, three permanent exhibitions as well as the renowned Wereldmuseum Junior. It stands as the oldest children’s museum in The Netherlands and is known for its engaging museum concept to stimulate an open view of the world. For both young and old the Wereldmuseum is worth the visit!