5 Best Art Museums to Visit in Amsterdam

Amsterdam is one of the must-visit cities for most travelers. The city offers amazing museums for people who want to enjoy art during their visit. I always search for famous museums in a city before traveling, and I was shocked by how diverse Amsterdam’s museums were. Every person can find a museum that suits the concept of art in their mind in Amsterdam. I strongly recommend buying your tickets online so that you can skip the line and will be able to get into the museum. Let’s take a look at the best art museums to visit in Amsterdam!

1. Rijksmuseum

If you want to visit just one museum in Amsterdam, it should be the Rijksmuseum. It is located in Museumplein, basically, a square which includes several museums. There used to be the Iamsterdam sign in front of the museum, but it has been removed recently. The Rijksmuseum is worth visiting since it has the biggest collection of art in the county. The museum exhibits masterpieces from Dutch art and history for visitors.

You need to spare some time to visit the Rijksmuseum since it is full of great paintings and artifacts. So, be ready for getting tired of walking but not stopping in this museum! While wandering in the museum, if you see a crowd looking at a huge painting on the wall, it means that you have found the famous ‘Night Watch’ by Rembrandt. You can check this website if you want to learn some details of the painting.

Tip: If you want to see where this talented painter lived, you can also visit the Rembrandt House Museum!

2. Van Gogh Museum

If you ask someone to name one famous painter, most people would reply with Van Gogh. He is one of the best-known Dutch artists with his paintings like Starry Night and Sunflowers. The Van Gogh Museum as one of the best art museums to visit in Amsterdam gives you the chance to see the paintings and learn more about his life. Why did he cut his ear, why did he go to France, to whom did he write letters? All of these questions can be answered by a walk in the Van Gogh Museum. The museum also has a gift shop filled with Van Gogh related souvenirs as you can imagine. Also, do not forget to take pictures in front of the selfie walls, because in other parts of the museum taking pictures is not permitted.

Tip: If you want to learn more about his life, you can also watch the movie called “Loving Vincent“.

3. Anne Frank House

Anne Frank is famous for her diary that she wrote in a hiding spot during the German invasion of the Netherlands. She receives a diary on her birthday just before hiding and starts writing about the situation and her feelings. Can you believe that she lived in a Secret Annex with her family for two years? Unfortunately, the police had found and sent them to concentration camps. Anne Frank died in one of those camps, but thanks to her father, who survived the war, her writings were published. In the museum, you can see her diary and go through the secret door that looks like a bookcase from outside. Well, if you want to learn more about her life and how she lived in those years, you can visit the Anne Frank House Museum in Amsterdam.

Tip: If all the tickets have sold out, and you really want to see what is inside, you can check out the movie called The Fault in Our Stars, there are some parts which show the inside of the house!

4. Stedelijk Museum

Have you seen the bathtub-shaped building in Amsterdam and wondered what it is? Well, it is the Stedelijk Museum. It is a modern and contemporary art museum that aims to ‘’enrich people’s lives with art’’. You can find various art disciplines in the museum. There are temporary exhibitions, besides permanent displays. Therefore, I recommend checking what is on before going to the museum. When I was there, I saw a huge poster saying ‘Help me I am in the museum’ outside the Stedelijk. So, I might say it is a museum with a sense of humor!

Tip: Due to the pandemic, like most museums, the Stedelijk Museum is temporarily closed. Do not worry, they have lots of online tours available on their website!

5. Moco Museum

Did you know that the name Moco comes from Modern-Contemporary? The Moco Museum in Amsterdam is a relatively new museum, yet it still attracts many art-lover visitors with its modern and contemporary artworks. Even though we still do not know who this secret artist is, we all heard about Banksy. In the Moco Museum, Banksy has a permanent exhibition, as well as other international artists such as Andy Warhol. You can take pictures of the creative works in the museum as long as you do not slow down the flow. Your visit probably will not take too long since it is a boutique museum so, if you are in Amsterdam, keep this museum in mind!

Tip: Do not forget to have a look at the artworks in the garden!

What are the other art museums to visit in Amsterdam that you suggest to our community? Let us know in the comments and we can enrich our list!