Art Museums in Amsterdam – the Ultimate Guide

If you are an art lover, Amsterdam will satisfy your art cravings. With the Rijksmuseum – one of the most renowned museums in the world, and the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam is a must-visit destination in Europe for every art lover. Beside these two major museums, Amsterdam boasts many other less popular, but absolutely worth visiting art museums, like the Hermitage or MOCO. In this ultimate guide to the art museums in Amsterdam I have included 27 museums and exhibition places which cover the whole art spectrum, from the historical art to contemporary multidisciplinary and experimental art forms.

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Here, on the map you can find the location of all art museums in Amsterdam. Wherever you are in the city, there will always be an art space near you. This map will also help you plan your stay in the city so that you can optimise the time between the sights you’ll be visiting.

Here you can quickly choose which museum to visit based on your interests. Underneath is the whole list with art museums in Amsterdam.

Art museums in the Museum Quarter

Most of the art museums in the Dutch capital are clustered in the so-called Museum Quarter (Museumkwartier) on Museum Square (Museumplein), which is very convenient. You can find there Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Stedelijk Museum and MOCO Museum.

How to get to Museumplein in Amsterdam

Getting to Museumplein is quite easy. I highly recommend that you just walk to the museums. From Amsterdam Central train station it takes about 35 minutes, from Anne Frank House – 25 minutes, from Rembrandt House – 25 minutes. Actually, Museumplein is the farthest that you would probably walk/reach in Amsterdam when sightseeing.

Tip: Check out this post: The best Amsterdam Walking Routes. Museumplein is included in itinerary #4.

If you are taking public transportation, metro station Vijzelgracht for line 52 is just a short walk. There are also enough buses and trams that stop just next to or in front of the Rijksmuseum. Click on the button below to plan your journey wherever you are in Amsterdam (or the Netherlands).

1. Rijksmuseum

The Rijksmuseum, or the Rijks, the way the Dutch lovingly refer to it, is undoubtedly the jewel in the crown. Not only has the museum an amazing collection, but also the building itself is an architectural chef-d’oevre. Designed by the famous Dutch architect Pierre Cuypers, it’s an excellent example of Revival Architecture with Gothic and Renaissance elements.

Fun fact: When the Rijksmuseum (Dutch National Museum) was established in 1800 it was called National Art Gallery and was housed in Huis ten Bosch (a royal palace today) in The Hague.

The centerpiece of the Rijksmuseum is certainly the world-famous painting of Rembrandt – the Night Watch (De Nachtwacht). And indeed Rembrandt’s masterpiece is impressive not only with the masterful use of light and shadow (what actually is the signature technique of the Dutch painter) but also with its dimensions (363 cm x 437 cm / 12 ft x 14,3 ft).

Fun fact: The painting was significantly trimmed in 1715 to fit the place where it was exhibited. Today, you can see a copy of it, made in 1715, exhibited next to the original in the museum, with the original number of characters.

Other famous paintings exhibited in the Rijksmuseum include masterpieces of Rembrandt, like a few self-portraits and Isaac and Rebecca (The Jewish Bride), as well as masterpieces of Johannes Vermeer (The Milkmaid, Woman Reading a Letter, The Love Letter), Hendrik Averkamp, Frans Hals, Van Gogh, and many others.

The Rijksmuseum takes you on a journey through the ages. 800 years of Dutch history and art, from the Middle Ages to Mondrian, is told in 8000 objects, displayed in 80 galleries. The collection of the Rijksmuseum is simply stunning and this is one of the reasons why it’s a world-class museum.

2. Van Gogh Museum

Dedicated to the life and work of the greatest Dutch artist, the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam is a must-see for all visitors of the city. There you can see the biggest collection of the artist’s works: more than 200 paintings, 500 drawings and almost all of his letters. In the museum you can admire his world-famous Sunflowers, Irises, The Bedroom, Almond Blossom, The Sower, and the list goes on.

The Van Gogh Museum, however, is not only about his painting. There you can also learn about the turbulent life of this remarkable Dutch artist. And to place everything into perspective, there’s also an exhibition of Van Gogh’s contemporaries like Toulouse-Lautrec, Monet and Pissarro.

The building where the Van Gogh Museum is housed is also a masterpiece. It was designed by the famous Dutch architect Gerrit Rietveld, who unfortunately couldn’t see his creation as he passed away within a year after the project started in 1963. The museum was finished by his colleagues van Dillen and van Tricht and officially opened in 1973. In 2015 a new glass entrance foyer was added to the building. The new entrance on Museumplein is simply spectacular with the facade of bent-on-site double laminated glass that makes the whole building look transparent.

Fun fact: Gerrit Rietveld is a famous Dutch architect, one of the founders of De Stijl – a Dutch art movement which was popular between WWI and WWII. One of Rietveld’s works – the Rietveld-Schröder House is one of the 10 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the Netherlands.

The collection of the Van Gogh Museum is actually the private collection of Vincent van Gogh’s family. After Vincent van Gogh passed away, his paintings were managed by his brother Theo van Gogh and later by the Theo’s son and Vincent’s nephew – Vincent Willem. In 1962 Vincent Willem founded the Van Gogh foundation and initiated the building of the museum. The collection was given on permanent loan to the museum by the family.

3. Stedelijk Museum

Stedelijk Museum (the City Museum) is another art museum in Amsterdam located on the Museumplein (Museum Square). It is the place for modern and contemporary art and design in the Netherlands. Through the years (the museum was established in 1874) it has acquired a huge collection of art works, starting with the post-impressionists from the end of the 19th century and going through the 20th-century’s movements De Stijl, Bauhaus, CoBrA, pop art.

Some of the masterpieces of the Stedelijk (the way the Dutch call it with affection) include works of Jackson Pollock, Kazimir Malevich, Mondriaan, Picasso, Andy Warhol, Gerrit Rietveld, Kandinsky and Chagall. In the rotating permanent collection of the museum, which exhibits 700 pieces at a time, you can see some of these works. The museum works also with temporary exhibitions that showcase contemporary artists and designers.

The building where the Stedelijk Museum is housed, was built in 1895 and in 2012 it got a new face. The new wing and entrance hall scream modern design which perfectly suits the image of the museum and what is stands for. The new building of Stedelijk was immediately nicknamed “the bathtub” and righteously.

4. MOCO Museum

The new kid on the block on Museumplein is the Modern Contemporary Museum Amsterdam, or MOCO Museum. Established in 2016 and housed in the beautiful Villa Alsberg, built in 1904, the museum already won a name in the modern and contemporary art circles with its exhibitions of Banksy, Yayoi Kusama, OSGEMEOS, Tracey Emin, and Andy Warhol among others.

The MOCO Museum offers innovative and immersive exhibitions bordering with shows, like the Reflecting Forward by Studio Irma.

In 2020 the museum came up with an augmented reality app where you can see the works of Studio Irma at a digital open-air museum on Museumplein. The app (MOCO Outside) is free and is available both for Apple and Android.

Other art museums in Amsterdam

Scattered around in Amsterdam are the rest of the art museums.

5. Rembrandthuis (Rembrandt House Museum)

The Rembranthuis (the Rembrandt’s House) is where the well-known Dutch master has lived from 1639 till 1658. Actually, the house is not strictly an art museum, but you can’t visit Amsterdam without coming in interaction with Rembrandt. The best place to learn as much as possible about the artist is, of course, his house.

When you enter the house, you step back into the time of the Dutch Golden Age. Wander from one room to the other and discover how life was back in the 17th century and how Amsterdam looked like those days. Check out the studio of the artist and imagine how he would stand there sketching for the next big masterpiece.

Tip: To make the most of your visit to the museum, take the audio tour. It’s included in the entry tickets and it’s a great way to learn more and hear all the stories. It’s available in Dutch, English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Mandarin, and Russian.

The collection of Rembrandthuis includes a few paintings of the artist, lots of drawings and almost all of his etchings. The museum also organizes temporary exhibitions.

One of the best ways to learn everything about Rembrandt is to book a tour that will take you along all landmarks in Amsterdam connected with the artist, including his house and of course the Rijksmuseum, where his most important masterpieces are exhibited.

How to get to Rembrandthuis

The best way is on foot. The museum is located in the heart of the city, not far away from Zuiderkerk. It takes about 15 minutes from Amsterdam Central train station to the museum. If you have to use the public transport, take the metro and get off at Nieuwmarkt Station and take the Hoogstraat exit. Don’t go by car! Amsterdam is not made for cars and parking in the city centre is outrageously expensive.

Tip: Rembrandthuis is included in Walking Route #1. Check out all 4 Amsterdam walking routes here.

6. Hermitage Amsterdam

The Hermitage Museum in Amsterdam is a branch of the famous Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg, Russia, and is dedicated to showcasing the treasures of the legendary Russian museum in Amsterdam.

The building, known as Amstelhof, where the museum is housed, has very interesting history. It was built in 1682 and served first as a retirement home for elderly women and later on for both men and women. The last inhabitants left the building in 2007. In 2009 the Hermitage Museum opened its doors.

Beside the temporary exhibitions, there are a few permanent ones, where you can learn about the history of the building and the Dutch-Russian relations through the centuries. However, the most impressive exhibition is the Portrait Gallery of the 17th Century, which puts together at one place 30 gigantic group paintings from the Golden Age. The paintings are coming from the Amsterdam Museum and the Rijksmuseum.

Tip: Stop by at the Museum’s cafe before you leave for some refreshments. It’s worth the visit.

Another attraction in the Hermitage is Panorama Amsterdam. City Time Lapse, which shows the history of the city as seen from the location of the building.

The best part about the museum is that the exhibitions change and if you visit Amsterdam often, each time you can see something new on there.

How to get to Hermitage Museum

Amsterdam is quite a walkable city. It takes about 25 minutes to get from the Central Station to the museum, where you will be passing along some of the most famous landmarks in Amsterdam. Check out this post about the best walking itineraries in Amsterdam, so that you can plan your visit.

If you use the metro, get off at Waterlooplein stop, and exit towards the Hortusplantsoen.

7. FOAM Photo Museum

FOAM is “all about photography”. The photography museum in Amsterdam organizes exhibitions of both contemporary and historical works. Established photographers are exhibited side by side with emerging artists. The museum opened in 2001 and is housed in a beautiful house on Keizersgracht.

How to get FOAM Amsterdam

If you want to walk to the museum, here are some distances: from Amsterdam Central Train Station – 24 minutes, from Rijksmuseum – 10 minutes, from Anne Frank Museum – 21 minutes.

If you are using the metro to get the museum, for line 52 get off at Vijzelgracht stop, and for lines 51, 53 and 54 at Waterlooplein stop. By tram you can take line 24 to Muntplein, line 4 and 14 to Rembrandtplein, or line 2, 12, and 12 to Konningsplein.

8. Huis Marseille – Museum for Photography

Huis Marseille is Amsterdam’s (and Netherlands’) first museum of photography. Housed in one of the most famous canal houses on Keizersgracht, the museum opened in 1999. In 2013 the adjacent house was acquired by the museum. Huis Marseille (or House Marseille in English) was built in 1665 for the French merchant Isaac Fouquier. On the facade of the house there is a map of the seaport in Marseille (France), hence the name. Many original details of the house have been kept, such as the opulent ceiling paintings, the stucco work, and a red period room in the style of Louis XIV.

Read more: Discover why the canals of Amsterdam are included on the list with UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

At the museum you can see works of renowned photographers side-by-side with emerging artists. The museum offers varied exhibitions that change every season, so there will be like an average of 4 exhibitions per year. If you have already visited the museum, I would suggest to pop by again, as there will be something new on display. The museum also has a library, a specialized photo book shop and a tranquil canal garden which are all open to visitors.

How to get to Huis Marseille

Located in the heart of the historical city, the best way to reach the museum is on foot. Check out the best walking routes in Amsterdam for more info. Here are some distance: from the Amsterdam Central train station – 25 minutes, Anne Frank House – 12 minutes, Rijksmuseum – 14 minutes, Rembrandthuis – 18 minutes.

9. Museum Van Loon

This house museum is located in an imposing mansion on Keizersgracht. The house was built in 1672 and its interior shows the grandeur of the Dutch Golden Age. In 1884 the house was acquired by the prominent Van Loon family, who boasts co-founders of the VOC (Dutch East-India Company), a 17th-century mayor of Amsterdam, a few bankers, PM’s, and court-ladies among others.

Together with the private collection of the Van Loon family, the museum organizes also temporary exhibitions and shows occasionally contemporary art. The permanent collection consists of historical portraits and paintings, mostly of family members.

The museum has a beautiful garden with a lovely coffee corner. And all this in the heart of the city!

How to get to Museum Van Loon

The museum is located in the heart of Amsterdam, on Keizersgracht, so you can easily walk to it. Here are some distance: from the Amsterdam Central train station – 25 minutes, Anne Frank House – 21 minutes, Rijksmuseum – 10 minutes, Rembrandthuis – 15 minutes, Huis Marseille – 10 minutes.

If you decide to take the public transport, the nearest metro station is Vijzelgracht and line 52 stops there.

Off-the-beaten-path art museums in Amsterdam

10. Street Art Museum Amsterdam (SAMA)

This museum is actually an open-air museum. It’s located outside of the city centre. What started as a community project in the Nieuw-West Amsterdam neighbourhood grew into a museum with more than 300 art works, that shows the evolution of street art.

You go on a 3-km street art tour where you explore street art by artists like Bastardilla, Nafir, Suso33, Blub and many more.

11. Nxt Museum

The emerging digital arts and multimedia installations have found their home in the first museum in the Netherlands for new media art – the Nxt Museum. It’s a brand new museum that opened its doors in 2020. They offer immersive, multi-sensory exhibitions that puzzle your mind. Large-scale installations, a result of the interdisciplinary collaboration of artists, designers, technologists, scientists and musicians, offer futuristic experience in a new art form.

The museum is located outside of the historical centre, in the up-and-coming neighbourhood Amsterdam North.

How to get to Nxt Museum

The museum is just a 10-minute walk from the Amsterdam Central Station. Take the ferry (at the back of the train station) to Buiksloterweg and you’ll be in no time at the museum.

If you use the metro, take line 52 towards Noord/North and get off at Noorderpark. The museum is only a 10-minute walk from the metro station.

12. NDSM Wharf

NDSM is not strictly a museum, but if we talk about contemporary art, it’s difficult to put it into the old-fashioned concept of a museum. So, let’s say that NDSM is one of the biggest artistic incubators in the country, a place for creative experiment. It breeds art and it breaths art.

NDSM stands for Nederlandsche Dok en Scheepsbouw Maatschappij (Netherlands dock and shipbuilding company) and the NDSM wharf in Amsterdam used to be one of the biggest shipyards in the world until the 1980s when it closed. In the 2000s this post-industrial area has been redeveloped into an urban zone.

The NDSM Loods – a huge warehouse, has been transformed into an Art City (Kunststad) with more than 250 artists having their studios there. Exhibitions are organized throughout the year at the wharf, the warehouse or in NDSM Fuse. NDSM Fuse is the exhibition place of the wharf.

How to get to NDSM wharf

Take the ferry from Amsterdam Central Station to NDSM and you are there. The ferry is free for pedestrians.

13. STRAAT Museum

STRAAT is a street art museum located in a former warehouse at the NDSM Wharf. It pretends to be the largest street art museum in the world and it opened its doors in October 2020. The collection of the museum includes more than 240 art objects: paintings, sculptures, and installations, however only a part of them are shown at a time in the museum. The gigantic murals are created at place.

At the STRAAT Gallery, which is the in-house gallery of the museum, there are changing exhibitions of contemporary urban art.

How to get to NDSM wharf

Take the ferry from Amsterdam Central Station to NDSM and you are there. The ferry is free for pedestrians.

Other places in Amsterdam which exhibit art

Besides the established museums, there are also other places in Amsterdam, where you can see art exhibitions. Here are some of them:

14. De Nieuwe Kerk Amsterdam

This 14th-century church on the most famous square in Amsterdam – Dam Square, has been converted into an exhibitions centre and meetings venue. This is also the church, where the Royal coronations and weddings take place.

Address: Dam Square, Amsterdam
Website: nieuwekerk.nl

15. Oude Kerk

Oude Kerk (or the Old Church) is the oldest building in Amsterdam. It dates back to the beginning of the 13th century. They organize twice a year exhibitions of specially commissioned art works.

Address: Oudekerksplein 23, 1012 GX Amsterdam
Website: oudekerk.nl

16. Beurs van Berlage

This historical stock exchange was built in 1903 and was inspired by the functionalities of the Italian Palazzo Pubblico. The clock tower reminds of the 13th-century Torre del Popolo in the Italian city of Brescia.

Address: Damrak 243, 1012 ZJ Amsterdam
Website: beursvanberlage.com

17. Allard Pierson

Allard Pierson is the in-house museum of the University of Amsterdam. Besides, their permanent collections (archaeology, history of books, cartography, graphic design, Jewish cultural history and zoology), the museum also organizes temporary art exhibitions.

Address: Oude Turfmarkt 127-129, 1012 GC Amsterdam
Website: allardpierson.nl

Contemporary art spaces in Amsterdam

Amsterdam is a thriving art city and if you want to stay up-to-date with the modern art scene, you should pop up at least at one of the following places.

18. Arti et Amicitiae Club

This is Amsterdam’s oldest society of visual artists, founded in 1839. They are organizing topical, highly experimental, multi-disciplinary exhibitions. The club is housed in a monumental building on Rokin, in the heart of the city.

Address: Rokin 112, 1012 LB Amsterdam
Website: arti.nl

19. De Appel

De Appel, established in 1975, is a venue for performances, installations and video art. They are focussing on promoting young international artists.

Address: Schipluidenlaan 12, 1062 HE Amsterdam
Website: new.deappel.nl

20. Looiersgracht 60

This art space is located in a former 19th-century cardboard factory and its interior has remained almost untouched. They focus on contemporary art, design and architecture.

Address: Looiersgracht 60, 1016 VT Amsterdam
Website: looiersgracht60.org

21. De Brakke Grond

De Brakke Grond is a Flemish Cultural Institute in Amsterdam and they exhibit contemporary Flemish artists.

Fun fact: Flanders is the Dutch-speaking province of Belgium. Flanders, together with Wallonia (the French-speaking province) and Brussels, forms modern-day Belgium.

Address: Nes 45, 1012 KD Amsterdam
Website: brakkegrond.nl

22. iso

iso is a collaborative art space that has workshops, studios and exhibition areas.

Address: Isolatorweg 17, 1014 AS Amsterdam
Website: isoamsterdam.nl

23. PS

This art spaces exhibits upcoming contemporary international artists. PS stands for Post Scriptum, Project Space, Public Space or Private Space. Which one do you choose?

Address: Madurastraat 72, 1094 GR  Amsterdam
Website: psprojectspace.nl

24. ROZENSTRAAT – a rose is a rose is a rose

Don’t you just love the name? Rozenstraat translates in English as Roses Street. Rozenstraat is a space for experimental art with a focus on sociopolitical issues.

Address: Rozenstraat 59, 1016 NN Amsterdam
Website: rozenstraat.com

25. P/////AKT

At P/////AKT you can see exhibitions of emerging artists on contemporary topics.

Address: Zeeburgerpad 53, 1019 AB Amsterdam
Website: pakt.nu

26. puntWG

puntWG is an exhibition space in the centre of Amsterdam, located in a former hospital. They offer multidisciplinary art exhibitions, both as a part of curatorial programmes and as short exhibitions of individual artists.

Address: WG Plein t/o nr 80, 1054 DM Amsterdam
Website: puntwg.nl

27. W139 

W139 is a contemporary art space which stimulates artistic and intellectual freedom. The art installations are specifically produced for the art space.

Address: Warmoesstraat 139, 1012 JB Amsterdam
Website: w139.nl