One of the must see museums when visiting Amsterdam…read more We also enjoyed taking a break at the cafe located inside the Rijksmuseum.

I am so bummed!! After being there for 5 hours, I still failed to make it to the 1700-1800 and the…read more2000s zones!! This place is HUGE! I now understand why tourists would plan an entire day there. Unfortunately, I had 2 other stops that day that I couldn't miss, so I had no choice but left at 2pm. I am soo glad I made it to the main hall first to see Rembrandt's Night Watch (granted it was through a piece of glass due to the restoration process). I would've been devastated if I couldn't. Love the info cards for almost all of the major art pieces to explain in detail on how it was created. Some tips: Buy your ticket ahead of time. Get there 15 minutes before your entrance time to get in line and for bag check. No water inside the exhibits. The coat check is your only option if you don't show up right at when they open. The lockers filled up within minutes. Don't be fooled by the opened ones because that means the lock is broken. Definitely worth a stop at the gift shop. (Like I said above) Plan to spend the whole day there.

Aside from staying in one (rentals are available on various online platforms like Airbnb or VRBO),…read morewhere else than a working houseboat to better get a feel for these canal-side living arrangements so popular in Amsterdam? On a dreary fall morning I dropped by around 11am and the museum was empty aside for a couple staff. I showed my "i amsterdam" prepaid pass, they scanned it quickly and passed me the headset for a free self-guided audio tour, which lasts about 30 minutes. The tour starts at the front, where's there's an example of an older set-up, then leads to the back of the boat where a more modern layout is shown. Numbers next to signs tell you what to listen to on the audio guide. Some interesting tidbits I learned are that orange is practically a national color in the Netherlands, hence why the wall paper and decorations are all orange. New boats must be constructed according to strict regulations, and only a set number of spaces along the canals are allocated to houseboats so there's a limited supply. More interestingly, when the Netherlands football (soccer to us Americans) team won the European Championship in 1988, parties got so out of hand that some houseboats sank because too many people were climbing on them! I thought this was a calm, fun way to start my morning, and staff were friendly and helpful. This museum you can easily go thru in about 30 minutes, regular ticket prices are: Adults: €9.5 per person for Full Day entrance 10am-5pm Adults: €8 per person for Morning entrance 10am-12noon Children up to 12 years: €5 per person For more info: houseboatmuseum.nl

Super tiny museum because it's literally a houseboat. It is self-guided tour (you're given an audio…read moreclicker) that takes 30-45 minutes if you're listening intently to every section, or a speedy 15-30 minutes if you just want to listen and read about the main exhibits. Definitely not wheelchair/disability-friendly. The inside can be cramped in some areas, so be mindful of any bulky backpacks/bags you're carrying around. The information was pretty interesting - they definitely tried to cram a lot into a small space. I wouldn't recommend large groups here unless you break it up into groups of 4 people max. One and done type of museum.

I came here using my iAmsterdam card. I only checked out the museum areas and not the cafe. The…read morehouse is well maintained and has a lot of different rooms you can check out. The audio clicker gives you more background information for each of the areas. During my visit, there were pieces from Kehinde Wiley which initially confused me because it seemed so out of place, but honestly looked amazing in such a contrasting setting (historical house). You can go as quickly or slowly as you want at this museum, depending on your interest. I personally just liked walking through all the rooms and reading/listening to snippets that interested me (~45-60 minutes), but you can also do a more thorough visit. Overall, I had a good experience at Museum van Loon.

Nice historical house from the golden era of Dutch history. Very well preserved with a nice…read moregarden. It's a small place for a visit but it's considered a large home for the city and time period. It's part of the city cards too so if you have that, it's definitely worth including.

Do you want to peek inside to learn how a wealthy couple would have lived in Amsterdam in the…read more1800s? Used the I Amsterdam Card to visit the Museum Willet-Holthuysen which is located on famous ring of canals. The house was built for Jacob Hop, mayor of Amsterdam, around 1685. In 1739, the outside was redesigned in the Louis XIV style. The house was later acquired by Louisa Holthuysen and her husband, Abraham Willet. The couple was childless and lived quite a Bohemian lifestyle travelling and collecting art. Louisa was a very shrewd and strong businesswoman who had to keep bailing her husband out of debt despite her giving him a generous allowance. Much of the art collected was due to Louisa's art preferences. Upon her death, she bequeathed the entire building and its contents, including the art and books collected by her and her husband, Abraham Willet, to the city of Amsterdam on stipulation that it became a museum bearing their names. Loved exploring the three floors and beautiful gardens that are open to the public. Get the free audio guide which gives insight into the home and the occupants. No large bags are allowed but lockers are available. Love how the Victorian furnishing provide a backdrop for a contemporary fashion display. Such an interesting contrast in lifestyles. Definitely worth a stop while exploring Amsterdam.

This was a great spot to get in out of the cold (lol) and to see the inside of a house off of the…read morecanal. It told the story of a married couple that lived there and because of their extensive collections they left the house (the wife) to the city. It's not in its original state but the museum did a good job reimagining how it would have been. I enjoyed learning about the couple (even though no one really knew the truth about the relationship) and the home's history. It's self guided so you just take your time to explore.

I am beyond amazed that I get to see the actual Sunflower painting!! O.M.G!…read more I'm not posting any artwork here, because I don't want to take away anyone's experience. If I could go back to Amsterdam, I would definitely go back to this museum again. Yellow is such a joyful color. After visiting the museum, it has a deeper meaning to me. I went through entire museum floor by floor, showroom by showroom. Every corner has something that amazes me. I also got a chance to see how Van Gogh actually looked like! My goodness. I couldn't believe my eyes. A few tips: 1- you must make a reservation online ahead of time. I saw many people got turned away while I was waiting in line for security check. 1b- it's okay to be in line 15 minutes before your supposed arrival time. 2-it's best to buy the audio tour ticket along with the entrance fee instead of buying it on site. It was sold out when I got there. 3-there is a book store on the top floor, and you can actually take home a blank Sunflower coloring sheet for free! It's on an easel at the corner by the window.

TIP - order tickets ahead in time online to make sure you can get in on the day/time you want…read more A beautiful looking museum. Lots of Van Gogh art works to view and take in. Self guided tour comes with a player with headphones to that you can learn about the different Van Gogh art periods and works of art. Overall the museum was okay. You see a lot of Van Gogh art but not much about his life and world around him. I preferred the Rembrandt House as it showed his home and living arrangements - it gave you glimpse of his life at that time. I think the Rijks Museum would be a better choice to see a variety of artists.

Interesting museum to learn about the history of the windmills and you get to go to the top outer…read morepart of the windmill at the end. For some reason, I thought there would be more windmills in the area but this is the only one. Tour guide is a volunteer of the museum, so you can tell they are very passionate. You walk through the windmill with the guide and there's some displays of information at each point as well as the guide explaining it to you. Not a whole lot of seating in each part so be prepared to stay standing. The whole tour took about an hour and the best part was seeing workers at the time of the windmill.

I had a great time visiting this place. They do speak English and a little bit of Spanish in case…read moreyou had any questions. There's a lot of history in this location as well as various picture opportunities

The NDSM Werf is a good place to go for free if you want to enjoy an hour or two walking around and…read moreseeing artists works. This is the old Netherlands ship works - some large battle ships came out of this building. But now it's a fantastic space for creatives and their studios - we were fortunate to see graffiti artists at work on some new installations outside. There is also the STRAAT Museum which we did not take the time to do. It's easy to get to - Ferry 4 is right outside Central Station - ferries are free - and it takes right to the entry.

I jumped on the free ferry (F4) from behind central station and as you approach you already feel…read morelike the coolest person. I came especially to see the Anne Frank mural by Eduardo Kobra which I was really excited about and it didn't disappoint. I loved it. NDSM had such a funky cool vibe, covered in amazing graffiti and street art and there was even more art in the warehouses, some that are free to view and some you have to pay to get in. I saw a lamppost piled to the top with birdhouses, I saw a van stuffed with mannequin limbs, I saw a red crate covered in big black spiders but I was more interested in the street art to be honest and NDSM is the place to go to see some amazing street art. There are cool places to eat and drink and it's just a lovely chilled place to wander.

What a wonderful tour. Took the train to Haarlem from Amsterdam and boy was it worth it. We didn't…read morehave a reservation however they said to come back in an hour and they would get us in the next English tour. Was not very familiar with the story and history of this family and home but I left filled with knowledge. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and you could tell she really loved what she was doing. This is a must visit if you're in the Netherlands. Did I mention it's free.

"Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This…read moreI declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him." Psalms 91:1-2 Corrie ten Boom and her family believed that God was their refuge and their faith propelled them to shield those facing Nazi persecution during World War II. They risked their lives to hide Jews, students refusing to cooperate with their oppressors, and members of the Dutch underground resistance movement. It is estimated that 200-300 people sought refuge under their roof. As described in Corrie's book "The Hiding Place", the ten Boom family built a false wall in her bedroom that created an approximately 3 by 8 foot secret room where those being hunted could hide during a Gestapo raid. On February 28, 1944, four Jews and two members of the Resistance hid there for two and half days without food or water. All of them avoided detection, but six members of Corrie's family were arrested and sent to prison. Although Corrie was sentenced to the Ravensbruck concentration camp, she was inexplicably released nearly a year later. Following the end of the war, Corrie visited 64 countries, over the course of 32 years, spreading the message of God's love and proclaiming that Jesus Christ is victorious over all and everything, even the misery of a concentration camp. Reservations are required, admission is free, no photography inside the home is permitted, and navigating a narrow series of stairs is required. Part presentation of the ten Boom home and part presentation of the Gospel message, the orientation takes place in the living room that hosted a Bible Study for 100 years until the family was arrested in 1944. During our visit an interesting group dynamic emerged. Near the end of the tour someone felt inspired to publicly tell a German tour member that she was accepted and that the group did not view her as being a Nazi. It was a disarming extension of grace that seemed in total concert with the message that Corrie exemplified. And that's...Henry's Take. #corrietenboom #grace #faith #refuge