Amsterdam is home to some of the world’s most extraordinary museums. Whether you’re drawn to Dutch Golden Age masterpieces, cutting-edge contemporary art, hands-on science exhibits or sobering wartime history, the city has a museum that will make your visit unforgettable. Here’s a guide to the best museums Amsterdam has to offer, with everything you need to know before you go.
Van Gogh Museum
Vincent van Gogh is one of the most celebrated painters in history, and the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam holds the largest collection of his work anywhere in the world. You’ll find more than 200 paintings, 500 drawings and 750 personal letters, tracing every phase of his remarkable career. The early, sombre works like The Potato Eaters sit alongside the vivid, sun-drenched canvases he produced later in life, such as Almond Blossom and The Bedroom. The museum also brings his life and influences into context, so you leave with a real sense of the man behind the myth. Temporary exhibitions run throughout the year and regularly draw major international attention.
Tickets can be purchased at the door, but queues can stretch for over an hour during busy periods. Buying online in advance lets you choose your time slot and walk straight in. A multimedia tour is available as an optional add-on.
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NEMO Science Museum
NEMO is one of Amsterdam’s most popular family attractions, and it’s easy to see why. Spread across five floors, the science museum brings technology and natural phenomena to life through hands-on exhibits, live demonstrations and interactive workshops. You can experiment with electricity, explore the science of bubbles, watch a Tesla lightning display and try your hand at proper laboratory experiments. There are also talks and the chance to meet working scientists.
It’s just as engaging for adults as it is for children, and the rooftop terrace offers one of the best free views over the city. NEMO is a ten-minute walk from Amsterdam Centraal Station. Book online to avoid queuing at the door.
Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
If you’re after something a little different, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! on Dam Square is one of Amsterdam’s most unexpected attractions. Based on the legacy of American traveller and collector Robert Ripley, the museum fills five floors with bizarre artefacts, optical illusions, world records and genuinely strange curiosities from across the globe. You can step inside a spinning space tunnel, come face to face with the world’s tallest man, and explore 19 themed galleries covering everything from extreme body modification to miniature art and ancient torture devices.
There are also interactive features throughout, a café with panoramic views over Dam Square, and a VR experience available as an upgrade. It’s a great option if you’re travelling with teenagers or just want a break from more conventional museum-going. The museum is open every day. Buy tickets online to skip the queue at the door.
The Rijksmuseum
The Rijksmuseum is the Netherlands’ national museum and one of the great art museums of the world. It’s home to an extraordinary collection spanning Dutch history and art from the Middle Ages right through to the 20th century, with around 8,000 objects on permanent display. The Golden Age rooms are the undisputed highlight, where Rembrandt’s The Night Watch and Vermeer’s The Milkmaid draw enormous crowds. But there’s far more to explore beyond these famous works: Delftware, Asian art, silverware, jewellery, ship models and archaeological finds all have a place here. The design collection, which includes Rietveld’s iconic red-blue chair and a Mondriaan-inspired dress, is also well worth seeking out. On a fine day, the museum’s beautifully kept garden is a lovely place to take a break.
The museum is open daily from 9am to 5pm. Online tickets are strongly recommended to avoid long queues at the entrance.
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The Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam
Right next door to the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum on Museumplein, the Stedelijk Museum is the city’s leading destination for modern and contemporary art and design. The collection runs from around 1880 to the present day and includes major works by Kandinsky, Pollock, Warhol, Mondrian, Marlene Dumas and many others. The design collection is equally impressive, featuring pieces by Gerrit Rietveld, Gijs Bakker and other Dutch design icons. Temporary exhibitions bring fresh perspectives throughout the year and the museum has a strong international reputation for its programming.
The museum is open all year round. Online tickets save you queuing at the box office and also give you access to the audio guide.
Madame Tussauds
Madame Tussauds Amsterdam is where you get to stand next to your heroes. The wax museum on Dam Square features life-size figures of famous faces from sport, music, film, politics and art. But it’s not just about taking photos: the experience is genuinely interactive throughout. You can record a duet in a replica recording studio, create digital artwork in Herman Brood’s studio and pose alongside figures ranging from global pop stars to Dutch sporting legends.
It’s a fun option for all ages and particularly popular with families and groups. The museum is open all year round and is centrally located in the heart of Amsterdam. Buy your ticket online to skip the queue at the entrance.
Moco Museum
The Moco Museum occupies a handsome villa on Museumplein and brings together some of the most talked-about names in modern and contemporary art. Banksy is the star attraction: the museum holds a large permanent collection of his work, from subversive street-art-style pieces to canvases that gently dismantle the idea of what art should look like. Alongside Banksy you’ll find works by Daniel Arsham, whose sculptures appear as if excavated from some future civilisation, as well as pieces by Warhol, Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat. The museum attracts a younger crowd than the traditional galleries nearby and tends to sell out quickly, so booking online in advance is a good idea.
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The Rembrandt House Museum
Rembrandt van Rijn spent a significant part of his life in a canal house in the centre of Amsterdam, where he also kept his studio and ran an art dealership. Since 1911 that house has been a museum, and it remains one of the most atmospheric places to visit in the city. The interior has been meticulously restored to reflect how it would have looked in Rembrandt’s time, and you can walk through the rooms where he worked, see the tools and furniture he used, and explore a substantial collection of his etchings and drawings. Temporary exhibitions of other artists from his era are held throughout the year.
The museum is in the centre of Amsterdam and easy to reach by public transport. Buy tickets online to skip the queue.
Diamond Museum Amsterdam
Amsterdam has been one of the world’s great diamond cities for over four centuries, and the Diamond Museum is the only museum in Europe dedicated entirely to the subject. The permanent exhibition covers the full journey of a diamond: from its formation deep within the earth, through the cutting and polishing trade that made Amsterdam famous, to the spectacular jewellery pieces owned by royalty and celebrities. You’ll find replicas of some of the world’s most famous stones, historic crowns, and displays on the role of Amsterdam’s diamond industry in shaping the city.
Please note: the Diamond Museum closed in June 2025 for renovation works and is expected to reopen in 2026 at a new location on Paulus Potterstraat. Check the museum’s website for the latest updates before planning your visit.
Amsterdam Museum
The Amsterdam Museum tells the story of how a small medieval settlement on a river delta grew into one of the world’s great cities. Its exhibitions cover Amsterdam’s role as a global trading hub during the Golden Age, the waves of migration that shaped its character, the legacy of religion and conflict, and the city’s evolution into the diverse, open-minded metropolis it is today. It’s an honest and thoughtful portrait of a city that’s always been more complicated and interesting than its clichés suggest.
The museum’s original premises on the Kalverstraat are currently closed for a major renovation. In the meantime, the Amsterdam Museum is operating from a temporary location on the Amstel, in the former Hermitage Amsterdam building. Check the museum’s website for current opening times and exhibitions before your visit.
The National Maritime Museum
Few countries have as close a relationship with the sea as the Netherlands, and the National Maritime Museum brings that history to life in compelling fashion. The museum charts the rise and fall of Dutch merchant shipping from the 16th century onwards, exploring how a small nation came to dominate global trade during the Golden Age. You can explore the collections of ship models, maps, navigational instruments and seafarers’ stories, and then step outside onto a full-scale replica of an 18th-century VOC sailing ship moored alongside the building. Exhibitions on whales and the impact of rising sea levels add a more contemporary dimension.
The museum is close to NEMO and easily reached by public transport or car. Buy tickets online to skip the queue at the entrance. An audio guide is included with your ticket.
Foam Photography Museum
Foam is one of Amsterdam’s most respected cultural institutions and one of Europe’s leading photography museums. Located in a beautifully converted canal house on the Keizersgracht, the museum runs several major exhibitions a year covering the full breadth of the medium: documentary photography, fine art, portraiture, fashion and emerging talent all feature alongside established masters of the form. Alongside the exhibitions, Foam runs regular workshops, lectures and events that make it a genuine hub for anyone seriously interested in photography.
The museum is centrally located and easy to reach by public transport. Tickets are available at the door or online, with online booking recommended to avoid waiting.
The Tropenmuseum
The Tropenmuseum occupies a spectacular 19th-century building in Amsterdam-Oost and is dedicated to the cultures of the wider world. Through both permanent and temporary exhibitions, it explores themes such as religion, ritual, conflict, colonialism and identity, drawing on an extensive collection of objects, textiles, photographs and films from across Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and the Pacific. The museum is thoughtful and often challenging in the way it presents its material, which makes it genuinely more interesting than the average ethnographic museum. There is also a dedicated section for children aged 6 to 13, Tropenmuseum Junior, where younger visitors can engage with world cultures through interactive games and activities.
The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday. Due to limited space in certain galleries, it’s worth buying tickets online in advance.
The Dutch Resistance Museum
On 10 May 1940, German forces invaded the Netherlands. Five days later the country was under occupation. The Dutch Resistance Museum tells the story of what happened next: how ordinary people responded to Nazi rule, how a resistance movement grew in the face of brutal suppression, and how thousands of lives were saved through extraordinary acts of courage. The museum uses first-hand testimonies, film footage, photographs, documents and historical objects to paint a vivid and deeply human picture of those five years. It’s one of the most thoughtfully presented museums in Amsterdam and leaves a lasting impression.
The museum is located next to Artis Zoo in the centre of Amsterdam. Tickets can be purchased at the door, but buying online in advance is recommended to avoid queues. An audio guide is included with your ticket.