Did you know there are more cultural attractions per capita in Amsterdam than any other major city in the world?
This may come as a surprise to many tourists who think of Amsterdam as a small city known more for its vices than its museums. But if you’ve started planning your trip, you likely have the Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, and Anne Frank House already on your list. Those three should of course be the priority, but if you’re in the city for more than a couple of days, there are many other, less well-known museums that are definitely worth a visit.
For this post I’ve selected my top 5 favorites: Museum Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder, Museum Van Loon, Rembrandt House Museum, Hermitage Amsterdam, and Micropia.
Before we get started, I’d like to point out that all of the museums listed here (as well as the Rijks, Van Gogh, and Anne Frank House mentioned before) are free to Museumkaart pass holders. Many are included with the I Amsterdam Card and Holland Pass as well. Be sure to check out my Complete Guide to Amsterdam’s Museum Passes, including my recommendation on which is best for your trip.
Related Posts:
- Tips for First-Time Visitors to the Netherlands
- 3 Days in Amsterdam: What to Do & Where to Eat
- Complete Guide to Amserdam’s Museum Passes
- 10 Interesting (& Surprising!) Facts About the Netherlands
- All other posts about the Netherlands
1. Museum Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder
Winning the award for “most surprising museum” is the Museum Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder. The name translates to Museum Our Lord in the Attic, which is an odd name but one that perfectly suites this unusual museum.
Your visits starts with a tour through a canal house built in 1630 and leads visitors up to the attic where the real star of the show awaits. The house’s attic was converted into a fully functioning Catholic Church for about 150 worshippers in 1663, during a time when Catholicism had to be practiced in secrecy due to persecution. The interior of the church is brightly painted in hues of pink and purple, which only adds to the uniqueness of this unexpected church tucked away in the middle of the Red Light District. The church became a museum in 1888, which makes it the second oldest museum in all of Amsterdam.
The Museum is open from 10 am till 6 pm Monday through Saturday and from 1 pm till 6 pm on Sundays. Holiday hours and opening times may differ — check on their website here. There is a free, worthwhile audio guide and nice gift shop at the entrance. Admission is €11 per adult or free for Museumkaart and I Amsterdam City Card holders.
2. Museum Van Loon
A visit to the Museum Van Loon will give you a glimpse into a stately canal house that was built in 1672 and was occupied by the wealthy Van Loon family in the 19th century. The top floor of the main house had a temporary exhibit on pastel paintings when we visited, but the real attraction for us was the beautifully decorated and maintained interiors. You’re allowed to wander freely throughout the house, including the cellar and kitchen where the staff once lived and worked. A garden in the back connects to a carriage house at the rear (pictured above), which was once home to the family’s horses and now serves as a lovely small cafe.
The museum is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm but closed for some holidays — read more on their website here. Admission is €9 per adult or free for Museumkaart and I Amsterdam Card holders.
3. Rembrandt House Museum
Conveniently located in the center of the oldest part of the city, the Rembrandt House Museum is worth a visit for anyone interested in learning a little more about the famous seventeenth century painter and his personal life. Rembrandt eventually went bankrupt and was forced to leave the house in 1658 when he was unable to make his mortgage payments after living there for nearly 20 years, but the interiors have been reconstructed based on historical documentation to reflect the way things looked when he lived there and offer an interesting glimpse into the life of an artist, art dealer, and teacher.
The house alone and collection of original artwork make for a worthwhile tour, but the highlight for me were the painting and etching demonstrations that were given free to museum-goers. The etching presentations are offered every day from 10:15 am to 1:15 pm, and from 1:45 pm to 4:45 pm; the painting preparation demonstration, which takes place in the painting studio pictured above, takes place from 10:15 am to 17:10 pm.
The museum is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm but closed for some holidays. Admission is €13 per adult or free for Museumkaart and I Amsterdam Card holders.
4. Hermitage Amsterdam
The Hermitage Amsterdam is an offshoot of the second largest art museum in the world, the Hermitage in St Petersburg.
It may seem odd that a Russian museum decided to open an annex in the Netherlands, but apparently the two countries have ties that go back centuries. In 1697, Tsar Peter the Great visited the Netherlands. On this trip, the Tsar purchased the first painting of the future Hermitage collection. Then in 1813 Russian forces helped drive the French from the country. Finally, in 1816 the Netherland’s Prince William of Orange married Anna Pavlovna Romanova, the sister of Russia’s Tsar Alexander I.
The museum hosts a number of different temporary exhibitions that combine pieces from the St Petersburg collection with others from museums around Amsterdam. When we visited, they had an excellent exhibit of Dutch Golden Age portraits in the main gallery space as well as a collection of 18th-century marble busts and statues. You can see a list of current and upcoming exhibitions on the Hermitage Amsterdam website.
The museum is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm but is closed for some holidays. Admission to all exhibits is €15 for adults (over 12) or €2.50 for Museumkaart holders; the I Amsterdam City Card allows free admission. There’s also a reduced price for those that only wish to visit certain exhibitions. More information can be found on their website.
5. Micropia
Opened in 2014, Micropia is new on the museum scene in Amsterdam. It is the world’s largest (and only, for that matter) museum dedicated solely to microorganisms. You wouldn’t think a museum dedicated to things you can’t see would be all that interesting, but the museum does a really great job of making the exhibition experience immersive and interactive. Micropia is located immediately adjacent to the zoo, so it’s best to do the two on the same day if you have the time. The restaurant next door De Plantage also makes for a nice lunch break and has a lovely greenhouse-like dining room with views toward the zoo.
The museum is open from 9 am till 6 pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday and is open until 8 pm on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Holiday hours and opening times may differ — check on their website here. Admission is €15 for those over the age of 10 or free for Museumkaart holders.
