If you're going to take in a modern art museum while in Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum is a good…read moreoption. Admission is €22.50, but if you're 18 and under - it's free! Two hours is a good amount of time to allow to explore the museum, from my experience. Prebook your time for an optimal, smooth experience. It's actually right by the Van Gogh museum so can make for a good accompaniment to that. Weekday mornings are best to avoid crowds. Grab one of their free audio tours when you walk in to get all the details on what you're seeing while walking through!

They have a Yayoi exhibit but tickets sell out so plan ahead. Wasn't able to see that part of the…read moremuseum but enjoyed walking through the rest of the museum. Exhibits on two different floors, the more modern art is on the second floor where the cafe is.

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.

A friend told me to check out this purse and handbag museum and I am happy I did. The fee for the…read moremuseum was reasonable but it was disappointing that they charge for the audio guide which I felt should've been included. Overall I enjoyed learning the history and different periods of which women used handbags. It was so cool to see the historical purses to the modern purses. There were some very unique and handbags to check out on all floors. Wow, if I had more room in my suitcase I could've definitely purchased a bag or two in their gift shop that had some cool handbags for sale. I would recommend this place for those interested in purses. It wont take too much time out of your day.

One of the many things I love about Amsterdam, is there's a museum for almost any interest. I…read morehappen to be quite obsessed with handbags and purses. Enter the Tassenmuseum! A small museum, located on the "Gentleman's Graacht" in Amsterdam's canal district, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This museum is fascinating, and the exhibits are incredibly well designed. It takes the history of purses and bags back to the 1600s, when men were all about the purse. Another plus is that it's in an old canal house, which is fascinating all on it's own as a place to explore. The collection is enormous, and extremely well curated and researched. I was completely absorbed, as was my boyfriend! I loved the exhibits that displayed famous women's purses, and the contents! Haven't you always wondered what the Queen of England and Princess Grace carry around in their purse? I know I have, and now I know! Learned a new Dutch word: MANNENTASSEN = man bag! Why should the ladies have all the fun, and why should men overstuff their pockets? The museum is a perfect size, as you can spend a couple hours here, before "museum fatigue" sets in, and still feel like you saw everything, and learned some things. The café attached is elegant and sunny. The service is a little slow, but who minds, as you get to hang out in a beautifully appointed canal house. The gift shop is the best part!!! Many purses for sale, from high end, to bags for people like me. Accessories, fun doo-dads and other relevant miscellania are on offer. So worth a visit. I loved it!

Overall rating: 4.6 Visiting from NYC…read more Wow, such a cool place! I was killing some time waiting to check-in to my hotel. Two floors, very digestible. They have an activity paired with each exhibit which is cool. I didn't understand it, but it was cool to watch others. Everyone was very friendly and informative. I learned a lot, but can't say I retained any knowledge. I highly recommend. Great solo, friends, on a date, any occasion.

My major in university was Microbiology and Immunology, so when I found out that there was a museum…read moreall about microorganisms in Amsterdam, of course I just had to go! A MUSEUM ABOUT MICROBIOLOGY, HOW COOL IS THAT?! The exhibits I particularly enjoyed were the Petri plates displaying colorful cultures and the glass sculptures of various microorganisms. We were in there for a couple of hours, but I could have easily stayed for another hour. Adult tickets were €17.50, although I got the student price of €10 since I still had a valid student ID. It was annoying how you had to select the date and time you wanted to go, although when we wanted to change the date due to a change in plans, it was no problem. Micropia is one of the more unique museums I have been to, and I loved it! Highly recommended! [Yelp collections: Europe 2024; Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Museums and Art Galleries]

Amazing spot. 1) The…read morelocation of the museum is excellent. 2) The museum has a section that is free. I will recommend to stick with the free section. It has everything you want to see. 3) Will for sure come back.

What a cool 17th Century building. They have the permanent collection of Dutch art as well as a…read moretemporary exhibit. I didn't get to see all of the rooms in the museum, unfortunately. I arrived there so late, and the place was about to close. The museum has a massive collection of artworks, sculptures, and archaeological finds. There's also films, photos and interactive presentations of how their city blossomed from poverty to prosperity. It cost 10 Euro to visit this place and it's tucked between the stores in the shopping district of Kalverstraat. When I arrived there and didn't get to see, much because I felt rushed I suggest going there early in the morning, so you don't miss out on anything.

Frans Hals Museum is MUCH more than a priest fondling a nun, more than a "cute" museum, and so much…read moremore than Frans Hals! It is a world-class museum full of amazing examples of 16th and 17th century paintings, glassware, porcelain and other artifacts. It primarily represents the Golden Age of art and Haarlem was a hotspot - the proof is here. The location, building and cafe add a ridiculous amount of charm to the place, but the artwork featured here would stand on its own in any location. Visiting the Frans Hals Museum is my #1 recommendation to anyone planning a stay in Haarlem, and I suggest that you view the museum for a minimum of 1 hour. Cross the street to then see the Historical Museum (which will take about 15 minutes), and then go see St. Bavo Kerk in centrum, where Frans Hals himself is buried. After you've taken in these three sites, you've seen the essence of what Haarlem was in it's grandest times.

This was a really cool museum, i loved it here! I recommend going here if you like Frans Halses art!read more

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.

Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder, or Our Lord in the Attic, is such a unique place to visit…read more "Hidden" in a 17th-century canal house, you can climb the stairs to the top floors to discover a house church as part of this museum. The Catholic church was built on the top three floors of the canal house during the 1660s. It is an example of a "schuilkerk", or "clandestine church." Since Catholics who rejected the Dutch Reformed Church were unable to worship in public, these hidden churches were often found on the top floors of canal houses. The canal house was built in 1630. Between 1661 and 1663 the top three floors of the house were transformed into a house church. The church is small, but beautiful. After the Church of St Nicholas was opened, the house church no longer needed to be used as a church. On April 28, 1888, it opened its doors to the public as a museum. It is the second-oldest museum in Amsterdam, after the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam. Definitely put this one on your list of museums to visit in Amsterdam. On the way up to the church, you can visit the front room, the between room, the hall, the Jaap Leeuwenberg Hall, and the 17th-century kitchen. It is on I Amsterdam Card. Such a unique experience.

The name of this museum translates to "Our Lord in the Attic" and the attic in this museum is a…read moreremarkable example of a "clandestine church" dating to the 1660s. When the Dutch Reformed Church was made the official church of the Netherlands in the 1660s, Catholics, Jews, and other religious "dissenters" had to practice their religions in private. Rather than being given religious freedom, they were given something more akin to religious tolerance. Catholic "attic churches" were created to serve their communities, and this museum is the best preserved example of one. The audio guide does a great job of explaining the history of the church and the family that housed it. The house, built in 1630, is in excellent condition and provides an informative window into Amsterdam of long ago. If you have time to stop by for an hour or so, this is worth the visit.