Best Amsterdam museums you need to visit in 2026

Must visit art museums in Amsterdam

According to the TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice awards, the Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum are among the top 25 best-rated museums of the world. Both are museums located at Museum square (Museumplein), five minutes walk from each other. So even if you have a short stay in Amsterdam, you can visit them both.

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Entrance tickets to the major Amsterdam museums cost around €25. We recommend to consider buying the I amsterdam card (from €27 a day), which gives free access to 70+ museums and attractions. See what is included in the card and order it online.

The Rijksmuseum has an endless amount of rooms and collections. We recommend to start your visit with the The Gallery of Honour. Here you will see The Night Watch by Rembrandt, Vermeer’s paintings and other Dutch masterpieces by the great artists of the 17th century.

If the Van Gogh museum is on your list, we recommend booking tickets weeks in advance, as it’s almost impossible to buy them last moment. Tickets are sold only online, they are not available at the counter.

Tip! Van Gogh museums tickets are sold out? Check availability at the websites of official resellers:

• GetYourGuide
• Tiqets
• Tours & Tickets
• Lovers.nl

Or consider booking a semi-private guided tour or a guided tour to the Van Gogh museum. They include the entrance tickets.

You can also visit the Kröller-Müller Museum (60 km from Amsterdam), which has a collection of 90 paintings and 180 drawings by Van Gogh. It’s the second largest collection of Van Gogh’s works in the world. Travel time from Amsterdam to the Kröller-Müller Museum is around an hour by car or 2 hours 15 minutes by public transport. You can also join an organized tour to the Kröller-Müller Museum from Amsterdam.

Modern art museums in Amsterdam

The MoCo museum is an independent modern art museum. Moco exhibits Andy Warhol, Banksy, KAWS, Jeff Koons, Studio Irma, Yayoi Kusama, Keith Haring and other contempotary artists. A few steps on Museum square you will find and check the Stedelijk museum of modern and contemporary art and design. Its collection and exhibitions offer insights into the modern world and highlight topics that impact our lifes, society and future.

Hidden treasures – museums in Amsterdam canal houses

How about visiting a 17th century canal-side mansion? Once homes for the wealthy Amsterdammers, some canal houses are now open to the public as museums. Here are some of them:

• Museum Van Loon (Keizersgracht, 672)
• Museum of the canals (Herengracht 386)
• Museum Willet-Holthuysen (Herengracht 605)
• FOAM museum of photography (Keizersgracht 609).

Another great museum has been a real Amsterdam’s secret for almost two centuries. Our Lord in the Attic Museum (Oudezijds Voorburgwal 38 – 40, in the middle of the the Red Light district), a typical 17th century house with a secret: a chapel that served as a fully-functioning Catholic church for over 200 years.

Located in three attics of three canal houses, Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder has been a museum since 1888. Today you can still see the organ from 1794, the period art and ornate, baroque furniture and authentic decorations.

Tip. A single ticket to the canal house museums costs €15 – €17,50. But with I amsterdam city card you can visit them for free.

Visit 70 museums and use public transport for free with the I amsterdam city card. See what is included and order it online.

Interactive museums in Amsterdam

Want to experience something different? Visit interactive museums and attractions in Amsterdam. At the WONDR Experience and the Upside Down museums you can take creative instagram photos. The Heineken Experience museum is an interactive, semi-guided, and immersive attraction located in the old Heineken brewery building, with multiple tastings and free beer included in every ticket.

Best Amsterdam museums and attractions to visit with kids

NEMO museum is the largest science center in the Netherlands for children of all ages. You can find yourself inside a soap bubble, explore how chain reaction works, or visit a master class on constructing buildings from cocktail straws. This is how children and teenagers get to know the basics of chemistry, physics, biology and technology in an interactive way.

Micropia is the only museum in the world, devoted specifically to microbes and bacteria. It was voted as the Europe’s most innovative and groundbreaking museum at the 2016 European Museum of the Year Awards. Here you can explore the invisible world of tiny creatures around us. Did you know that together all microbes on your body make up around 1,5 kilograms of the total weight? Recommended age for Micropia museum is 8+.

On Dam Square

What about a royal experience? Royal Palace Amsterdam (Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 147, Dam square) is actually still used for King Willem-Alexander’s official receptions. But when not used by the royal family, the palace is open for visitors. Check if it’s open on the days of your visit >>

The building to the right from the Royal palace is the New Church (Nieuwe kerk). It often hosts wordl-famous photo and art exhibitions and events. Check out the agenda!

Madame Tussauds wax figures museum on Dam Square is a fun experience for all ages.

Tip! Check www.madametussauds.com official website for tickets with discounts, combi offers and other deals.

FAQ about visiting museums in Amsterdam

Related articles:

• Amsterdam itinerary: best of the city in 2 days
• How to book tickets for the Anne Frank house
• Do Rijksmuseum tickets sell out?
• Canal cruises in Amsterdam
• I amsterdam card: what is free and how to use it?
• De 9 Straatjes – Amsterdam’s Nine streets
• Opening hours of Amsterdam museums on Christmas and New Year’s Eve

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