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.

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.

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.

From the owner: Het Marinemuseum laat bezoekers het verleden en het heden van de Nederlandse marine ervaren…read more Belangrijk onderdeel van het museum zijn de 3 museumschepen: de onderzeeboot Tonijn, het ramschip Schorpioen en de mijnenveger Abraham Crijnssen. Aan boord van de museumschepen is de geschiedenis van elk schip zichtbaar gemaakt. Aan boord vertellen oud-bemanningsleden prachtige verhalen. In de gebouwen van het Marinemuseum aan de wal zijn vaste en wisselende tentoonstellingen over de geschiedenis van de marine te zien. Een van de permanente tentoonstellingen is Schip en werf. Deze tentoonstelling is volledig gewijd aan techniek. Het brughuis De Ruyter is een van de nieuwste attracties van het museum. Hier ervaart het publiek de windkracht van de 3D-radar en krijgt op de brug een kijkje in het optreden van de Zeestrijdkrachten anno 2013. Jong en oud gaat zelf aan het werk in de interactieve expositie Schip en Werf waar men kan klinken, lassen, touwknopen, lading hijsen of het geschut bedienen. In het Marinemuseum zijn vaste en tijdelijke exposities te zien, zowel in gebouwen aan de wal als aan boord van de museumschepen. De collectie van het Marinemuseum is toegespitst op het cultuur-historisch erfgoed van de Nederlandse marine. De zeer diverse collectie omvat onder andere scheepsmodellen, schilderijen, prenten, wapens, uniformen, onderscheidingen, scheepssier, communicatieapparatuur en serviesgoed...