Never quite seen so many music makers…read more There is a good kids attraction where they can do a scavenger hunt There is a guided tour that looks interesting Took about one hour for us to go through and feel like we were able to see everything

I seriously can't fathom why this museum is so poorly rated. This was probably my favorite museum…read moreon our trip. If you are going, make sure to take the TOUR. We made the 10:30am one. It's free and the young man, in addition to explaining what the automatons and musical instruments were and the history behind them, actually wound up all the ancient relics so you could see them in action. Some of this stuff is really old, which is mind boggling. Exceptional museum and so much fun (and I don't have children and am not a child!). A must-visit in Utrecht. Also, a separate note about Holland for those planning their trip. Utrecht and The Hague were our favorite cities. We found Amsterdam to be touristy and overrated. Delft is a nice day trip (20 minutes from The Hague) but don't go to the Delftware factory, it is a tourist trap. Skip Leiden: university town but not that interesting and not much in it.

First of all, if you appreciate museums at all, this is a must-see place in Amsterdam!!…read more Yesterday morning we lined up at about 8:50 before museum opening at 9. We had purchased tickets online ahead of time and figured the earlier the better. We spent 3.5 hours here and made sure to see every aspect, spending more or less time in exhibits depending on our interest. The gift shop is extensive and worth a look around as well. There's a restaurant and cafe as well which look great. Getting a map as you enter is helpful. The museum is subdivided by floor (0 through 3), and time period, with 1900-2000 on the top floor. There's a coat check if you wish on the 0 floor, alongside the bathrooms. May I mention that I love that most public bathrooms here are stalls with floor-to-ceiling doors?! The privacy is much nicer, and the doorknob indicates vacant/occupied so you don't have people looking at your feet to decide if it's empty. lol. We experienced the galleries basically in chronological order. The special collections are cool in that they are historical artifacts, lovingly preserved, such as old swords/guns, locks/keys, tea services, clothing and glassware, to name a few. My favorite artifact was a chessboard which had animal images subtly etched into the metal of each space. (See photo). We spent a good chunk of time in the 1300s galleries, where the sculptures, paintings, and artwork often depicted scenes from Jesus' life, Biblical stories, or morality themes. One sculpture was of the two thieves on Jesus' either side during the crucifixion, showing one of them with an angel above his shoulders because he was headed to heaven. The Great Hall in between the main wings of the museum is a gorgeous expansive space with high vaulted ceilings, and floor to ceiling stained glass windows along one wall, paying tribute to the great painters, philosophers, architects, and musicians of Europe. There's an entire room full of elaborate 5- foot tall dollhouses that women of high class households (in the 1650s) would spend time curating, collecting, and creating , as a pastime and perhaps to save their husbands' the expense of renovating their actual homes. They had area rugs, wallpaper, the works! The Rijksmuseum opened in 1885, and is a historical monument worthy of patronage. Highly recommend!!!

I'm lucky enough to live right by the Rijksmuseum, so I see it every day, and let me tell you--it…read morenever loses its magic. Whether you're here for the Dutch Masters or just the stunning architecture, it's a world-class experience. The Museumkaart is a must: If you're planning on visiting more than 3-4 museums in the NL, get the Museum Card. The cost savings are huge. Even with the card, you have to reserve your time slot online in advance. Don't show up hoping to wing it; the popular slots vanish fast. When you're exiting or walking through the tunnel that goes under the building, watch out for the bike path! It's a major, high-speed commuter route for locals. It's easy to get distracted by the beautiful arches, but those cyclists don't play. Look both ways before you step out! It's the crown jewel of the Museumplein for a reason. Don't miss it.

This museum contains a carefully curated chronicle of Vincent van Gogh's journey as a person and as…read morean artist. I echo other reviewers who recommend buying your tickets well in advance. The audio tour is well worth the money and enriches your museum experience. The entrances for the special exhibition and the permanent exhibition are separate. I chose to walk through the special exhibition first and then view the permanent collection. The special exhibition the day of my visit is on the color yellow. I visited the site in Arles, France, that inspired Van Gogh's "The Yellow House." It was a beautiful thing to see the painting after visiting the place where Van Gogh painted it. I was moved by Van Gogh's desire to connect with the "common folk" of his period. One may know his painting, "The Potato Eaters." It stands in a collection of other paintings depicting rural life in Van Gogh's day. I grew up immersed in agriculture and wisdom from farmers. They say you won't truly appreciate the food on your table until you meet those who work the soil to grow your food. It was a deeply moving experience. If you're a fan of Van Gogh, this museum is worth a visit. Also consider visiting Arles if your travels take you to the Rhone region of France.

We were super lucky to be able to buy two tickets for the Van Gogh Museum through Trip…read moreAdvisor/Viator. The only ones available were inclusive of the audio tour. We had waited to purchase the week before. Recommend buying tickets at least 6 weeks in advance if you want to be able to have your choice of tickets. Anyway, the line is quick to get in and then to go pick up your audio sets for your language of choice. They are basically phone-sized touchscreens and have different recorded narratives for certain rooms of the gallery as well as certain works of art. You can chose the 45-minute, 60-minute, or extended tour. There was also a temporary exhibit called Yellow about the way yellow is used in the world of art, including Van Gogh's Sunflowers. The Van Gogh Museum was founded by his nephew Vincent, son of his beloved brother Theo and his wife Jo. Throughout Vincent Van Gogh's adult life as he evolved as an artist, he kept in close communication with Theo via letters. The audio tour has 3 letters read aloud to you if you choose to listen, from Vincent to Theo, from Theo to Vincent, and from Jo to Vincent. It's touching to hear them because it shows that he was much loved. I enjoyed learning about Van Gogh's journey as a painter, his exploration of color and light, his use of painting to express emotion, his desire to empathize with the farmers and rural workers in his world. The museum does a lovely job of interspersing paintings and sculptures by other artists who either influenced or was influenced by Vincent. A painting I learned about for the first time was called Almond Blossom (1890) when Vincent heard the news he had a nephew, also named Vincent. It's beautiful and full of hope. Though I have had the honor of seeing some of Van Gogh's famous works at other museums all over, I felt especially happy to see them all together here yesterday, with a narrative that filled out the bigger story.

Fantastic museum! It's a large outdoor museum that is easily walkable but there is also a tram that…read morecan take you around the entire museum. Little and older kids would also enjoy it. I could easily spend 3-4 hours here.

Open Air Museum Evenings! All week long!! Our little family had a blast making soap!!!…read more That's really the museum in a nutshell: plain family fun. The walk-throughs real dutch history time in architectural terms is such an experience. They have been able to assemble at this location a (sometimes telling) part of Dutch architectural history: original businesses, houses, apartments, windmills and even barracks. To give my review its Yelp-like fashion, the positive info need-to-know is that you can easily walk 10 km, enjoying medicinal gardens, original tram stops, tram rides, a smithery, a paper mill, and a bakery, and on and on. Some of these are still being run on water (paper and laundry). Parking you have to pay for, of course you can park your bike for nothing! And then here is my personal reflection and now that I have learned, I want to learn more. All fun stuff aside, about these barracks. No, they're not the ones that were built during WW2 (although those at Westerbork were used as well to house folks). These barracks were used for the people who arrived from Indonesia when it became independent again in 1949 and who were promised so much more support, never materializing until 30 years later (if that); honestly, as a half-Dutch person this makes me feel ashamed of our government policies. So I look hard to see the bad as well and to realize complacency has no place in a society. There is always room for improvement. Definitely recommend.

If you are a fan of Mondrian or his contemporaries, this is not to be missed! It gives a fair view…read moreof his life as both a person and an artist. This museum is located in his actual house of birth, in the historic city of Amersfoort. It houses a replica of his Parisian studio. Apart from this, the Mondriaanhuis also exhibits different collections that have a relationship with the famous Piet Mondrian. Tip of advise: combine this museum with a visit to both the historic city center of Amersfoort and the KAdE museum of contempary art. A day well spent!

If you're a fan of Mondriaan, as I am, you will enjoy this museum for its gift shop, its replica of…read moreMondriaan's New York City apartment, and for its location in Amersfoort. Beyond that, there actually isn't much to see here, unfortunately. They have one small Mondriaan painting that you would not know (trust me), along with many artifacts of his life, including letters, photos and books. The gift shop features many nice Mondriaan and other books that were very tempting. And the replica of the apartment is a nice representation of the desired lifestyle of a genius artist in the early 20th century. The city of Amersfoort itself was a nice bonus to my visit. It's a pretty little town with plenty of cafes and shops to add interest to your time here. A great lazy day adventure. PS - be prepared to lock up your purse in their little lockers. They apparently had some vandalism recently and don't trust anyone!

Having taken public transportation to the Kröller-Müller Museum in April, I would recommend renting…read morea car if you're traveling in a group from Amsterdam as it's definitely worth it! In the meantime, my adventure on a train, two buses, and getting dropped at the outside gate and then using a free white bike to get to the actual museum was a unique adventure I will certainly never forget! I admittedly headed to the museum purely for the Van Gogh collection, but wound up enjoying a number of rooms of other Impressionists' works (some I'd heard of before and some that were totally new to me.) The museum staff was friendly - if extremely diligent about enforcing their no backpack policy (don't worry they have a cloak room.) If you've been to Amsterdam, already experienced the Van Gogh museum, and consider yourself a fan this is the perfect place to visit your second time around. The collection is lovely, with some pieces that just drip that amazing Van Gogh texture. (Also, an important Odelin Redon painting is tucked around the back in there!) If your trip is set in stone you absolutely MUST book your pass to the museum in advance. Whether you're driving or taking public transport, this will get you access into Hoge Veluwe park without having to stop - either by car, or by getting kicked off the bus at the park gate and having to walk/bike the rest of the way! If you are going to brave the public transportation system a bit of advice: Make sure you tap through the current turnstiles getting to your train so you have an active trip while on the train so the conductors can scan your pass and move on.

One of my very favorites in the world!…read more This museum has everything, and the location is tops. For being outside of Amsterdam, I mean. The food is expensive, of course, but the coffee is good and affordable with the typical apple pie serving. The collection, amassed by Mrs. Kröller-Müller (German descent and quite an interesting lady), constantly changes and it updates with various angles of experiencing art for your personal challenges and artistic/art-appreciation growth. Mrs. Kröller-Müller enjoyed the tutelage of one of the premier art experts during the twentieth century, and with her (unlimited) budget she developed quite a taste for the expressionist and impressionist era paintings. She favored Bart van der Lek, whom she even used as a private painter in their home, also located within the park. Outside, a wonderful garden exhibit with statues and art pieces, including a staircase (to the heavens ;o) which you are not allowed to climb (bad accident occurred a long time ago), where your children can lose their sense of play and run around, even within the Jardin ceramic garden (a stark, black & white enormous above ground piece that is world-famous, but I have misplaced the name in my brain at the moment; I promise to update once I think of it), and where you can enjoy the trees and flowers Holland enjoys growing in its great soil and weather conditions. Because it is located inside a national park (not funded by the Dutch government but with memberships, and private & corporate donations), that is huuuuuuge (for Dutch standards) because Mr. Kröller loved to hunt big animals (and he copied the King, of course), it is such a lovely place to visit. Besides that, this museum houses the largest (!) collection of Van Gogh outside of the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam. I am such a lucky person to live near...

Not a traditional "museum" by any stretch, but with Amsterdam being the city boasting the world's…read moremost museums, I can see how the claim is made with places like this. It's a really nice spot, and the guy who runs it is extremely open and friendly with a wealth of information. He truly lives for this! If you arrive before it opens, you'll see people gathered around the door entrance, and you're there wondering what kind of place this really is. Doesn't look big from the outside at all, and looks like a shop more than a museum. Once you get inside the small space, you're greeted with black lighting above which illuminates all of the fluorescent artwork. There are paintings and sculptures with bright colors across the spectrum. Then you walk down these steps into the dark basement and see his special rock collection with the makeup of the rocks highlighted under the black lighting. Reminded me of geology class. Cool place, quick 30 minute experience.

Fluorescence is LIFE…read more Me and my wife did this tour in March 2018. This museum opened my eyes to another world of Fluorescence. Fluorescence is pretty much a living organism. It takes energy, consumes it, produces the brightest colors you would ever see. The vibes in this place are exceptional. The location is very close to the Ann Frank Museum. Its just 5 Euros & they let you use a really trippy bathroom for free. The couple who are the owner are in their 70s but their energy and will to give back to the world, still keeps them coming back to the museum everyday. They do this without the help of a young person or receptionist to handle your reservations. Remember that before, giving a bad review and saying they cancelled your reservation. We did not have reservation but they let us in, because they could. I would advise to call them in advance, they are doing their best in their capacity to handle the online reservations. They not only let us in, but allowed us to stay for as long as we want, despite of the small space and huge crowd. Nik explained in detail, about the physics behind this & inspired me for the rest of the life to explore this amazing world. I have bought a black light even. The pigment he uses, makes his paint way more brighter than you would find anywhere else. Some of the artifacts on the first floor are for sale as well, and can spin your head around. We bought what we could. I forgot my wallet and the lady was kind enough to keep it open extra time, so i could pick it. Although the museum closes at 7 but if you are interested Nik can talk to you the whole day about it.

This was a pleasant surprise! From the ship to the diverse objects, I really enjoyed discovering…read morethis museum. Unfortunately didn't have the time to see everything, but that' just another reason to visit Utrecht again.

Nice-sized museum - you can pretty much see the whole thing in less than 3 hours…read more * Great 700- or 1000-year old ship in the basement * The Dick Bruna studio on the top floor is really great. * Manageable collection of art * Modern Furnishings collection Parking nearby is quite expensive.