Amsterdam is one of the most culturally rich capitals in Europe, with lively streets full of history, unique quirks, and quintessentially Dutch experiences. A big part of this is the host of museums found around the city, where you can learn about important events in Dutch history, view both historic and modern art, and so much more.
However, with so much choice it can be hard to decide which museums to visit, and more importantly, which ones are worth your money! Luckily, I’ve put together a list of the best museums in Amsterdam that deserve a visit on your next trip. You’ll also find a few budget-friendly Amsterdam museums – as there’s something for everyone in the Dutch capital!
This post may contain affiliate links meaning I may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. Read more in my disclaimer.
The Best Museums in Amsterdam
Rijksmuseum
As the Dutch National Museum, it’s no surprise that the Rijksmuseum is a must-visit spot in Amsterdam. The vast museum space houses some 8,000 artworks and artefacts spanning 800 years of Dutch history. Notably, the Rijksmuseum displays many artworks from the Dutch ‘Golden Age’, with works from Vermeer and Rembrandt (including his most famous piece, ‘The Night Watch’).
On top of the impressive collection of art, you can also admire the beautiful architecture of the Cuypers Library or take a stroll through the Rijksmuseum gardens during your visit. And make sure you take a moment to view the Rijksmuseum from outside as well – as the largest museum in the Netherlands, the gothic and renaissance-style building dominates Amsterdam’s Museumplein.
Read next: How to Spend a Weekend in Amsterdam
Van Gogh Museum
The story of Van Gogh and his posthumous fame is known worldwide, and a museum dedicated to his work is the most visited in the Netherlands. Opened in the 1970s from an inherited collection of his unsold art, the Van Gogh Museum boasts the largest collection of his work worldwide, with over 200 paintings.
At the museum, you’ll have the chance to see some of Van Gogh’s most famed paintings, including Sunflowers, Bedroom in Arles, and many of his self-portraits. Plus, you can learn about his life and work and view paintings from his contemporaries.
Top tip: as the Van Gogh Museum is one of the most popular museums in Amsterdam, tickets sell out quickly. I’d recommend booking your tickets as far in advance as possible to avoid missing out – at least 2-3 weeks before your trip
Anne Frank House
Anne Frank was a young Jewish girl who lived in Amsterdam during WWII. Her family went into hiding after the Nazi invasion of the Netherlands and remained there until their unfortunate arrest in 1944. Anne kept a diary during her time in hiding, which was published by her father, the only surviving member of the family, after the war.
The book gained prominence worldwide, and some years later a foundation was established in Anne’s name to prevent the building she hid in from being demolished. Succeeding in this, the building was opened to the public as the Anne Frank House in 1960. During your visit, you can tour the house and secret annex where the family spent their years in hiding, as well as learn about Anne Frank’s life and death, the Holocaust and the treatment of Jewish people during WWII.
As you can expect, the Anne Frank House is not a light-hearted museum experience. However, the preserved history here provides invaluable insight into the Netherlands’ past and its Jewish population and is an important place to visit. Tickets for the Anne Frank House go on sale six weeks in advance and sell out quickly.
Moco Museum
Dive into Amsterdam’s thriving modern art scene at the Moco Museum, a space dedicated to modern, contemporary and street art. Opening in 2016 in Amsterdam’s Museumplein, the Moco Museum provided a much-needed injection of youth and and modernity that perfectly complemented its neighbours.
At the Moco Museum in Amsterdam, explore the works of Andy Warhol, Keith Haring and more (the ‘Moco Modern Masters’), plus street art from Banksy, Digital Immersive Art from Studio Irma, and rotating temporary exhibitions. Plus, you’ll find a fun sculpture garden outside the museum at the end of your visit.
Read the full Amsterdam Moco Museum guide!
Verzetsmuseum
Established in 1999, the Verzetsmuseum is the Dutch WWII Resistance museum, telling the stories of Dutch attitudes towards and resistance to the German occupation of the Netherlands. The chronological layout of the museum takes you through different periods of the occupation, using personal experiences to narrate the journey.
Both a sombre reminder of the horrors and tragedies of the Nazi occupation and a hopeful account of how many Dutch people fought for what was right, the Verzetsmuseum is one of the most interesting and touching museums in Amsterdam to visit.
STRAAT Street Art Museum
A quick and free ferry ride from Amsterdam Centraal will find you in Noord, Amsterdam’s trendy industrial neighbourhood. Here, visit STRAAT, a museum dedicated to street art and graffiti. The huge building showcases a wide range of artists, from household names to emerging talents, united by their dedication to the street art movement. This is definitely one of the most unique and fun Amsterdam museums!
Street art is a popular theme in this neighbourhood. You’ll find murals and graffiti in the area surrounding STRAAT – NDSM Wharf – it’s almost a museum in itself! There are many notable and changing works, but the Anne Frank mural is the most famous one here.
Stedelijk Museum
Another offering of the famous Museumplein in Amsterdam – by this point, you’ll want to spend your entire trip there! – the Stedelijk Museum is a contemporary art and design museum, offering insight into many modern art movements.
The main collection showcases a journey from the late 1800s to the modern day, split into three sections. From an introduction to the multiplicity of art history, a look into the changing world in the mid-1900s, and artists challenging our modern world, this is a unique and insightful exhibition space. Downstairs, you’ll find regularly changing temporary exhibitions, each offering a unique perspective for the visitor.
Rembrandt House Museum
Rembrandt, highly regarded as one of the greatest Dutch ‘Golden Age’ artists and generally as one of the greatest visual artists of all time, has a museum dedicated to his work in the centre of Amsterdam. Once the home of Rembrandt himself, the museum offers a unique insight into the life and experience of the artist in Amsterdam.
Explore Rembrandt’s house and studio, where he worked on some of his most notable paintings, plus temporary collections of Rembrandt art. If you’re a fan of Dutch art and history, you won’t want to miss this one!
Discover more things to do in Amsterdam!
Amsterdam Tulip Museum
You’ll find that there are only a handful of cheap or free museums in Amsterdam. And although the museums in this guide are more than worth the money, it’s nice to have some budget-friendly options too. Luckily, the few on offer are great to visit, and I’ve included a couple here.
The Amsterdam Tulip Museum is a small space dedicated to showcasing the Dutch tulip industry and its history. Learn about how tulips arrived in Holland, their turbulent history, and how the tulip industry is thriving today. The museum also has a gift shop full of trinkets and tulip bulbs.
Location | Website | Purchase tickets at the museum
Houseboat Museum
Explore another of Amsterdam’s budget-friendly museums at the Houseboat Museum. Step onto a classic Dutch houseboat and discover what it’s like to live in one of these unique spaces from the water. Housing shortages after WWII led many people to live in houseboats, and soon it became a trendy part of Amsterdam’s identity.
As the only floating museum in the city, a visit to the Houseboat Museum is perfect if you’re looking for something unique to do in Amsterdam. Afterwards, take a stroll around the surrounding 9 Streets area to admire more of the vast canal network.
Things to Know About Amsterdam Museums
Generally, the museums in Amsterdam are straightforward and easy to visit. However, here are a couple of helpful things to know beforehand.
Do you need to buy tickets in advance for Amsterdam museums?
Amsterdam is one of the most popular cities in Europe, and many of its top attractions are museums. With this in mind, you’ll want to book your Amsterdam museum tickets in advance so you don’t miss out.
There are two museums for which you’ll need to book your tickets well in advance: the Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House. For the Van Gogh Museum, tickets are usually sold out 2-3 weeks in advance. Tickets for the Anne Frank House are released in batches 6 weeks in advance, and book up fast.
>Book Anne Frank House Tickets
Most other museums are not booked up so far in advance, but you still shouldn’t expect to be able to purchase tickets on the day. For the other museums in this guide, I recommend booking your tickets at least a few days to a week before your visit – particularly the Rijksmuseum, Moco Museum and Stedelijk Museum. I’ve included booking links under each museum description to make it easy for you!
The only exception here is the Amsterdam Tulip Museum. Online tickets are not available, and you should purchase your tickets at the museum.
Are Museums in Amsterdam closed on Sundays?
It’s common across Europe for museums and other attractions to close on Sundays, or sometimes Mondays. However, you’ll find that most Amsterdam museums do not follow this rule. Generally, museums in Amsterdam are open daily – but it’s always worth checking this online before your trip!
Since I recommend booking museum tickets in advance, you’ll be able to see the exact availability and opening hours of a museum before you go.
City Card for Museums in Amsterdam
If you plan to visit a lot of museums in Amsterdam, you might find it worthwhile to purchase an Amsterdam city card. This is a pass, valid for various time periods, that allows you free or discounted entry into Amsterdam’s museums and other attractions. It also comes with free public transport access, a canal trip, and bike rental.
Six museums in this guide have free entry included in the Amsterdam city card. They are: Rijksmuseum, Moco Museum, Verzetsmuseum, Stedelijk Museum, Rembrandt House Museum, Amsterdam Tulip Museum, and the Houseboat Museum. The STRAAT Street Art Museum offers a 25% discount for pass holders.
Bear in mind that you may still have to reserve a timeslot for your museum visit with the city card. You can check online if this is necessary for each museum.
Book your Amsterdam city card today!
A tulip museum! How adorable. I love that! Thanks for sharing.
Oh my! If only I had known there was a cheese museum when I visited Amsterdam! I loved the Van Gogh museum so much!
I have been in Amsterdam before and I loved it, but I didn’t have the time to do the museums, and I know they have so many amazing options. Thanks for putting this guide together, I am saving for my next trip!
Beautifully written, but I’m most impressed with how clean and clear this is. This is my ideal travel guide. Please teach others how to be so organized lol
These look like so much fun to visit! I especially want to see the Anne Frank House and the Cheese Museum because yum! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Ohh, I have been to Amsterdam loads of times but I never knew there was a cheese museum. It’s one of my favorite cities and will hopefully head back in the near future. I’ll save this post for when I do.
This is perfectttttt! I’m actually planning to visit Amsterdam soon and was looking for some detailed information! Thank you!!!
This is so great! I’ve only ever been to Amsterdam for quick day trips on layovers, but I really want to go for longer. It’s such a cool city and these museums look awesome!
I’ve only been on a layover. Need to come back to Amsterdam to see these!
Amsterdam is such a wonderful city for museums. I’ve been to the Ann Frank House and it was a great tour. I’ll have to check out the others when I’m in Amsterdam next!
I’m not much of a museum person, but this may convince me otherwise. Although I’m not sure about the blue cheese!
The cheese museum and the tulip museum are high on my list of places I would like to see.
Great post! There are still a lot of great museums in Amsterdam that I would love to visit.