It is the time of the year that feels like winter… here in the Netherlands that means cold, damp, and hardly any sunshine. I always go back and forth on the pros and cons of Minnesota winter vs the Dutch winter. Honestly, it really depends on the day for me! Sometimes I prefer the super cold and sun and other days I prefer I mild and cloudy. To each their own!
In the winter, as like in Minnesota, it is extra important to find cozy or “gezellig” vibes. One way we have remedied the winter blues is to check out all of the museums nearby in the winter! As a resident, for €65 a year you can get a museum card and go to most museums for free or for a 1 euro reservation fee. With a fresh new museum card in hand here are some of my favorites, honorable mentions, and hot takes on Netherlands museums for visitors and residents alike!
My Top 5
1. Dutch Resistance Museum
As you can tell from my #1 rating this is a must-do museum while in Amsterdam. Also, it is often quite overlooked by other options in town like the Anne Frank museum. It takes about 2.5 hours to go through and it is quite interactive with an audio guide with lots to read, listen to, and see as you go through. It is about the experience of the Dutch during WWII the challenging times of occupation, the winter where people survived starvation by eating tulip bulbs, and those that tried to resist the Nazis. I can’t say enough good things about the museum and think everyone should visit so sometime like the Holocaust never happens again. Additionally, it is less busy that the likes of Anne Frank house and often you don’t need a reservation.
2. The Canal Museum
Walking around Amsterdam as a visitor (or everyday for me as a local) I am fascinated by the canals. The city looks right out of a fairy book and you can feel the history as you walk through town. Do you ever wonder how the canals were constructed? Well, in the canal museum they walk you through how the canals were built and the city was designed back 300+ years ago. It is an interactive experience where you walk through different rooms and get the chance to see it all come together. This is a short and simple museum and takes about a hour. I suggest this for all first time Amsterdam visitors!
3. The Van Gogh Museum
My best friend is a huge Van Gogh fan so I couldn’t make this list and not include this museum. As for art museums I do love the Van Gogh and recommend to anyone that visits the Netherlands. It can unfortunately get quite busy these days vs the other museums on my list, but I think it is still worth it. I enjoy that it is both a history and art museum going through the life of Vincent Van Gogh throughout the museums. They show you how his famous sail boat piece even has sand on it from him painting on the shores in France- how cool! Also, pro tip, but you really should get the audio guide.
4. Corrie Ten Boom Museum
This is a museum that is located in Haarlem which is a short 15 minute train ride away from Amsterdam. It is not on the museum card, but you can get a free tour with a reservation on their website. Typically, these sell out months in advance so book early! To get a Saturday tour in English, I made my reservation about 5 months in advance… This museum brought me to tears and I felt all of the feelings during and after my visit. It is a small group tour of about 10 people and they walk you through where the Ten Boom family house hid hundreds of Jews, Resistance, and others during WWII. They were a family of watchmakers and were mostly a temporary stop for vulnerable people as they make their way to locations further outside of the city. They were just blocks away from the local Nazi headquarters and were able to sneak right under their nose! The love, kindness, and faith of the Ten Boom family is unmatched and this is all conveyed through the entire visit. In such a dark time there really are such wonderful people out there ❤️
5. Haar Castle
I have been to a lot of castles over the years and I must say that this one of my favorites. There was a family living there until relatively recent (the early 2000s) which is a unique perspective. For example they had huge parties with celebrities in even the early 2000s. Also, the outside of the castle is super impressive so I recommend wandering around the grounds. This museum is a bit difficult to get to on public transport as it isn’t directly off a stop. You can get relatively close and then rent a bike for the last 20 minutes and it is doable without renting a car.
Honorable Mentions
Straat Art Museum
This is another not on the museum card, but a cool museum in Noord or North Amsterdam that is fun for a visit. It is comprised of giant graffiti works of art in a big warehouse setting. It is cool to see a different type of art museum and also the scale of how the big the works are is really cool. I would add this to any longer visit in Amsterdam or if you like street art.
The Lady in our Attic
This is a fun museum that we went to right when we moved to Amsterdam in the early days. It is of a church that is built into the attic of 2 canal houses back in the day when they were otherwise not allowed to practice (Catholic ?). I think it was during the Protestant Reformation?, but clearly I need to go back to the museum sometime soon for a reminder as I don’t remember the exact details.
Royal Palace Amsterdam
Although not a must-see, this is a very nice museum in Amsterdam if you have extra time. It is the giant building (cough palace) located in Dam Square. I will say the biggest con of this museum is that you have to walk through Dam Square which by far the worst area of the city with gobs of pigeons, people feeding said pigeons, and protesters. BUT, I promise the walk through the chaos is worth it. I loved the high ceiling and the detail work throughout seeing the different rooms of the palace.
Rembrandt Museum
This one surprised me a bit. As you might be able to tell by now, I am not the biggest art museum fan. I think I air a bit more on the history side of things, but I really enjoyed this museum. It is located in Rembrandt’s old house and it is fun to wander through the house and see how he lived and did his art. I loved a demonstration of how he made his paints back in the day and how he painted in the South facing room as it had the best sunlight for painting.
Anne Frank Museum
The Anne Frank Museum is very well-known and the top visited site in Amsterdam for good reason. I recommend to visit mostly for the name recognition. If you really want to learn more about the history then Corrie Ten Boom or the Dutch Resistance are better options. Anne Frank gets so many millions of visitors every year that they have to accommodate that. For example, I was through the full museum in about 45 minutes and you walk through most of it in a line of people it is so crowded. It is still worth going to to see where Anne really lived, but set expectations of crowds and not learning a ton of new information.
Fabrique de Lumieres
Although not a museum per se, and not on the museum card, I would say this is in an adjacent category and therefore it counts for my list! This is an interactive experience located in Westerpark and the project painting on the walls and you get to feel like you are a part of the art. It is a perfect activity for a rainy day in Amsterdam!
Muiderslot Castle
Another Castle, but this time much closer to Amsterdam! This castle we visited in our first few months of Amsterdam as it is about an hour bike ride away. Perfect for a nice sunny day to bike there on the bike paths, wander the grounds, and visit the inside. It feels very much like a classic castle with a full moat and everything. Definitely not as grand or spectacular as the Haar Castle mentioned above, but due to the easy, bikeable distance from Amsterdam it makes my honorable mentions list.
Hot Takes
Rijks Museum
You are through my top 10 favorite museums in the Netherlands and I have probably offended some people with the lack of mentioning the biggest museum in the country! Well, my personal opinion is that unless you are a really big museum person or have a lot of time to spend on a rainy day, I would probably not suggest this museum to a tourist. It is lovely, it really is, and has some great special exhibits, but it is so big it is difficult to get through so much of it. Plus, for my taste it has too many of the naked lady type of art that isn’t my favorite. If you do go, my favorite part is the library so make sure you don’t miss that! For sure walk by the outside and the gardens as that part is beautiful (and free).
MOCO
Okay, this is not to the same level of hot take as the Rijks Museum. MOCO is just overrated in general. It is a private museum so they are a bit snobby and a bit of a hodge podge of pieces. There isn’t a clear story through the museum which is something that I look for. It is also not on the museum card and quite expensive for what you get to see. Did I get some fun photos for Instagram, yes, but would I recommend it, no.
Mauritshuis
This one is famous for the Woman with the pearl earring. Is it beautiful, yes, but other than to see that piece the museum isn’t really my cup of tea and it wasn’t totally worth the trek from Amsterdam. If you are a huge fan, feel free to visit, but for an average museum goer it isn’t one of my top suggestions even though the internet will likely tell you otherwise.
I hope you like all of my thoughts about museums in the Netherlands! I hope this inspires you to visit a new place or hear about some hidden gems! Happy museum going.
❤️ Melanie
Smiles from Miles Away 