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Museums in the Netherlands

Published on Dec 20, 2024

Culture lovers will feel at home in the Netherlands, as the country boasts over 600 private and government-funded museums, from history museums to art museums, anthropology museums and technology museums. There is something for everyone to enjoy!

Looking for the best museums in Amsterdam? You won’t have to look far, as the province of North Holland offers more museums than any other province in the country! Some of the most popular museums in Amsterdam are also the most popular in the Netherlands overall, such as the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House.

Other well-loved museums in the Netherlands are Naturalis in Leiden (the national research institute for biodiversity), Teylers Museum (the oldest museum in the Netherlands and Europe!) and Kunsthal Rotterdam (one of the leading cultural institutions in the Netherlands).

While there are not many free museums in Amsterdam or the Netherlands, it’s worth noting that if you are staying in the country for a longer period of time, the Museumkaart is quite beneficial. For a set amount per year, this card allows you to visit over 500 museums at your leisure. You can buy a Museumkaart at participating museums or online. 

Here’s a list of some of the most visited and interesting museums in the Netherlands that both expats and tourists should visit.

102 results

Anne Frank Huis

Open to the public since 1960, the canal-side house serves as a present-day reminder of the war, the plight of its Jewish inhabitants, Anne Frank’s in... show more

Amsterdam

Bible Museum

The Bible Museum is where art and culture meet the Bible, in a monumental building full of history. Archaeological discoveries, ancient artefacts, cen... show more

Amsterdam

Rembrandt House Museum

The Rembrandt House Museum (Rembrandt Huis) consists of the house and studio of the famous 17th-century Dutch painter Rembrandt van Rijn, as well as a... show more

Amsterdam

Rijksmuseum

Located at Amsterdam's iconic Museumplein, the Rijksmuseum is one of the national museums of the Netherlands and the largest museum in the whole count... show more

Amsterdam

Nieuwe Kerk

The Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) on Dam Square in central Amsterdam is no longer used as a church and is now a renowned exhibition space. It is famous for... show more

Amsterdam

FOAM Photography Museum

Each year, FOAM Photography Museum hosts four major exhibitions, exhibiting different genres from art photography to fashion photography, as well as a... show more

Amsterdam

Stedelijk Museum

Located in the heart of Amsterdam’s museum district, the Stedelijk Museum is dedicated to modern and contemporary art and design from the early 20th c... show more

Amsterdam

H'Art Museum (Hermitage Museum)

H'ART Museum is an art museum located on the banks of the Amstel River in Amsterdam, formerly a satellite of the Hermitage Museum of Saint Petersburg,... show more

Amsterdam

Jewish Historical Museum

The Jewish Historical Museum (Joods Historisch Museum) is part of Amsterdam's Jewish quarter, providing deep insight into one of Amsterdam's most prol... show more

Amsterdam

Wereldmuseum Amsterdam (Tropenmuseum)

Wereldmuseum Amsterdam (Tropenmuseum) is one of the three constituents that make up the Dutch National Museum of World Cultures, one of Europe’s leadi... show more

Amsterdam

Van Gogh Museum

A visit to the Van Gogh Museum is a unique experience. The museum houses the largest collection of paintings by Vincent van Gogh in the world, providi... show more

Amsterdam

National Maritime Museum

The National Maritime Museum (Het Scheepvaartmuseum) shows how Dutch culture has been shaped by the sea, from commercial shipping to pleasure sailing.... show more

Amsterdam

NEMO Science Museum

In 1997, Queen Beatrix opened NEMO Science Museum, the Netherlands’ largest science centre. It's a unique place in Amsterdam comprising five floors pa... show more

Amsterdam

Museum of the Canals

Museum of the Canals (Het Grachtenhuis) is an interactive audiovisual experience which introduces visitors to one of the most important urban developm... show more

Amsterdam

Amsterdam Museum

Amsterdam Museum (previously known as the Amsterdam Historic Museum), through the rich collection of works of art, objects and archaeological artefact... show more

Amsterdam

Ons' Lieve Heer Op Solder

Ons' Lieve Heer Op Solder (Our Lord in the Attic) is one of the oldest and most remarkable museums in Amsterdam (the second oldest museum in the Dutch... show more

Amsterdam

EYE Film Institute

The EYE Film Institute, the Dutch centre for film culture and heritage, is dedicated to developing a distinctive film culture in the Netherlands. The ... show more

Amsterdam

Cat Cabinet

Cat Cabinet (KattenKabinet), as the name might suggest, is an art museum dedicated to cat-related artworks. Cats depicted by artists, both renowned an... show more

Amsterdam

Moco Museum

Moco Museum is a contemporary art museum located on Museumplein, with a mission to attract younger audiences and to make art more accessible to the wi... show more

Amsterdam

National Military Museum

The National Military Museum is housed in the former airbase at Soesterberg in the province of Utrecht. The museum has a permanent collection of army ... show more

Soest

Museum Paul Tetar van Elven

Paul Tetar van Elven Museum is a collection of paintings, porcelain and antique furniture on display at the former home of the namesake artist. Paul T... show more

Delft

Royal Delft Museum

The Royal Delft Museum (Koninklijke Delftsch Aardewerkfabriek) is the leading producer of authentic Delft Blue ornamental earthenware and modern earth... show more

Delft

Museum Prinsenhof Delft

Museum Prinsenhof Delft (The Prince's Court Museum) is a palace that has been a museum since 1911. It displays paintings from the 17th century and pre... show more

Delft

DAF Museum

The DAF Museum in Eindhoven tells the story of the DAF brand of vehicles, which has become the fastest-growing truck manufacturer in Europe. A tour of... show more

Eindhoven

Eindhoven Historic Village Museum

Eindhoven Historic Village Museum (Eindhoven preHistorisch Dorp) is an archaeological open-air museum, which explores the Iron Age as well as the Midd... show more

Eindhoven

Van Abbemuseum

The Van Abbemuseum is a museum of modern and contemporary art in Eindhoven, focusing on Dutch and international art. The museum has an area of almost ... show more

Eindhoven

GRID Graphic Museum

The GRID Graphic Museum (GRID Grafisch Museum Groningen) is a museum devoted to the history of graphic design, printing and bookbinding. Graphic herit... show more

Groningen

Groningen University Museum

The Groningen University Museum is celebrated for its scientific collection of the University of Groningen. There are also many artefacts relating to ... show more

Groningen

Groninger Museum

The Groninger Museum is an art museum which has managed to build an extensive and extremely varied collection ever since it was established in 1874. I... show more

Groningen

Museum aan de A

The Museum aan de A used to be the Northern Maritime Museum (Noordelijk Scheepvaartmuseum), one of the most visited museums in the province of Groning... show more

Groningen

Rijksmuseum Boerhaave

Rijksmuseum Boerhaave is the Dutch National Museum for the History of Science and Medicine, which opened its doors in 1931. The museum displays histor... show more

Leiden

Lakenhal

Lakenhal is a museum of fine art in Leiden. Leiden was a city in which Rembrandt, Jan Lievens, Gerrit Dou, Jan Steen and Jan van Goyen all lived and w... show more

Leiden

Rijksmuseum van Oudheden

The Dutch National Museum of Antiquities (Rijksmuseum van Oudheden) is the national centre of archaeology where you can appreciate the cultures of anc... show more

Leiden

Japan Museum SieboldHuis

When you visit the Japan Museum SieboldHuis you are treated to beautiful objects from Japan: fascinating Japanese artefacts behind a Dutch historical ... show more

Leiden

De Valk Windmill Museum

The Falcon (De Valk) is an authentic tower windmill, dating from 1743. This traditional Dutch windmill has seven floors, all of which are open to the ... show more

Leiden

Leiden Botanic Gardens

Leiden Botanical Garden (Hortus Botanicus Leiden) is the oldest botanical garden in the Netherlands and located in the historical centre of Leiden. Be... show more

Leiden

Wereldmuseum Leiden

Formerly known as The National Museum of Ethnology (Museum Volkenkunde), Wereldmuseum Leiden originated in two national collections. One of these was ... show more

Leiden

Leiden American Pilgrim Museum

Located in a beautifully preserved house built ca. 1365-1370 near the clock tower of the Hooglandskerk, the Leiden American Pilgrim Museum tells the s... show more

Leiden

Naturalis Biodiversity Center

Naturalis Biodiversity Centre is a natural history and biodiversity museum in Leiden. The museum focuses on biodiversity with a huge world-class colle... show more

Leiden

Museum aan het Vrijthof

The Museum aan het Vrijthof focuses on history, art and antiques, located on the most famous square in Maastricht. It opened in the mid-20th century, ... show more

Maastricht

Bonnefantenmuseum Maastricht

The Bonnefantenmuseum Maastricht is the foremost museum of fine art in the province of Limburg. It was founded in 1884, with many gems of 17th-century... show more

Maastricht

Bureau Europa

Bureau Europa is a museum in Maastricht related to architecture and urbanism. It hosts not just exhibitions, but also workshops, city tours and lectur... show more

Maastricht

Maastricht Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum Maastricht holds more than 550.000 natural objects, while its collections comprise more than 11.000 species, including over... show more

Maastricht

Bosch Brewery

Experience the history of making beer in Brewery Bosch where beer has been brewed since 1758. Visit one of the best-preserved treasures of Maastricht:... show more

Maastricht

Cobra Museum

Cobra Museum of Modern Art is dedicated to three art movements of the 20th century: Vrij Beelden, Cobra and Creatie, which caused a revolution in the ... show more

Amstelveen

De Pont Museum

De Pont Museum is a contemporary art museum based in Tilburg, North Brabant. Significant exhibitions at De Pont over the years have included the work ... show more

Tilburg

Arnhem Museum

Arnhem Museum is a museum of modern and contemporary art, as well as applied art and design. Forms of realism make up the core of the museum's collect... show more

Arnhem

Møhlmann Museum

Located in Appingedam in the province of Groningen, Museum Møhlmann is a privately-owned museum displaying three permanent collections of realistic an... show more

Appingedam

Falconry & Cigar-makers Museum

The Falconry and Cigar-makers Museum consists of two collections, which can be visited in the same building. The falconry explores the history of weal... show more

Valkenswaard

Frans Hals Museum

The Frans Hals Museum in Haarlem focuses on the works of the 17th-century portrait painter Frans Hals and his contemporaries. Alongside this, the muse... show more

Haarlem

Dutch Museum of Lithography

The collection of the Dutch Museum of Lithography (Steendruk Museum) comprises book illustrations, cartography, commercial posters and lithographic pr... show more

Valkenswaard

Rijksmuseum Twenthe

Rijksmuseum Twenthe is a national museum run by the government. It has a wide and varied collection of art and applied art from the Middle Ages up to ... show more

Enschede

Het Valkhof Museum Nijmegen

Valkhof Museum in Nijmegen houses a major collection of Roman antiquities, old masters and modern art. It has existed since 1999 and focuses chiefly o... show more

Nijmegen

Kröller-Müller Museum

The Kröller-Müller Museum has a world-renowned collection of mainly 19th and 20th-century visual art. Situated in the Hoge Veluwe National Park, it wa... show more

Otterlo

Teylers Museum

Teylers Museum is the oldest museum in the Netherlands, which has been open to the public since 1784. Furthermore, it's the best-preserved public arts... show more

Haarlem

Het Romeins Museum

The Roman heritage of Coriovallum (better known as Heerlen) is presented and preserved by the Roman Museum Heerlen. The site itself is the predecessor... show more

Heerlen

Tax and Customs Museum

The Tax and Customs Museum (Belasting & Douane Museum) relates to tax and customs and the history of taxation in the Netherlands. It has a collection ... show more

Rotterdam

Boijmans Van Beuningen Museum

Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen is one of the oldest museums in the Netherlands. In 1849 the lawyer Boijmans left his art collection to the city of Rott... show more

Rotterdam

Rotterdam Maritime Museum

Situated in the bustling heart of Rotterdam, the Rotterdam Maritime Museum is one of the world’s top maritime museums. Established in 1874 by Prince H... show more

Rotterdam

Het Nieuwe Instituut

Het Nieuwe Instituut (The New Institute) illuminates our rapidly changing world and fosters discussion of topics related to design. This art institute... show more

Rotterdam

Chabot Museum Rotterdam

The Chabot Museum Rotterdam houses a number of different collections, for instance, it manages the private Grootveld Collection that consists of 26 pa... show more

Rotterdam

National Museum of Education

The National Museum of Education (Nationaal Onderwijsmuseum) houses more than 350.000 objects related to education including chalk boards, ink pots, a... show more

Rotterdam

Rotterdam Natural History Museum

The Rotterdam Natural History Museum (Natuurhistorisch Museum Rotterdam) is a natural history museum comprising an estimated 400.000 objects, which wa... show more

Rotterdam

Kunsthal Rotterdam

The Kunsthal Rotterdam, located at the edge of Museumpark, hosts about 25 exhibitions a year. It presents culture in the widest sense of the word: old... show more

Rotterdam

Nederlands Fotomuseum

The Nederlands Fotomuseum organises exhibitions of and about photography, consisting of images of the 20th and 21st centuries. It is associated with o... show more

Rotterdam

World Museum Rotterdam

The World Museum (Wereldmuseum) in Rotterdam is an ethnographic museum exploring cultures both in the past and in the present. It offers, by its outst... show more

Rotterdam

Escher in the Palace

Escher in the Palace (Escher in Het Paleis) is a permanent exhibition dedicated to the world-famous Dutch artist M.C. Escher, whose art startled milli... show more

The Hague

The Hague Museum of Photography

The Hague Museum of Photography (Fotomuseum Den Haag) opened its doors in December 2002. It is part of the Kunstmuseum The Hague and works closely wit... show more

The Hague

Museon

Museon is a museum dedicated to culture and science in The Hague. A significant percentage of Museon's visitors are school children as it hosts educat... show more

The Hague

Kunstmuseum

Kunstmuseum (formerly known as Gemeentemuseum Den Haag) is an art museum in The Hague renowned for its large Mondriaan collection. The building itself... show more

The Hague

The Historical Museum of The Hague

The Historical Museum of The Hague is located in the royal city centre. It tells the story of The Hague, its inhabitants and its government, with freq... show more

The Hague

Prison Gate Museum

The Prison Gate Museum (Gevangenpoort) tells the thrilling tales of crime and punishment in days gone by. The museum has a history that stretches back... show more

The Hague

The Mesdag Collection

The Mesdag Collection is a private art museum in The Hague which houses the exceptional collection of 19th-century art assembled by the renowned marin... show more

The Hague

Mauritshuis

The two-storey Mauritshuis is beautifully symmetrical and consists of 6.400 square meters of exhibition space. It was once the residence of count John... show more

The Hague

Huis van het boek

Huis van het Boek is located in the charming former residence of Baron Van Westreenen van Tiellandt (1783-1848) and focuses on the history and develop... show more

The Hague

Turkish Museum

The Turkish Museum (Turks Museum Nederland) highlights the centuries-old relationship between Turkey and the Netherlands as well as the experiences an... show more

The Hague

Catharijneconvent Museum

Catharijneconvent Museum is a museum of sacred art in Utrecht. It exhibits the past and present of Christian heritage in the Netherlands and offers in... show more

Utrecht

Centraal Museum Utrecht

The Centraal Museum is one of the oldest municipal museums in the Netherlands. Museum highlights include the 1.000-year-old "Utrecht Ship" and paintin... show more

Utrecht

Sonnenborgh Observatory

Discover the secrets of Sonnenborgh: go behind the thick walls of the 16th century bastion to search for cannon emplacements. Climb the steps up to th... show more

Utrecht

National Railway Museum

National Railway Museum (Spoorwegmuseum) is not just a museum: it is a fascinating environment in which you discover how the railway changed the world... show more

Utrecht

Speelklok Museum

Museum Speelklok in Utrecht collects, preserves, presents and restores an extensive and internationally renowned collection of self-playing mechanical... show more

Utrecht

Museum of Amsterdam Illusions

The creative space at Amsterdam Museum of Illusions is a wonderful and unforgettable day out at the museum, the main participant of which is the spect... show more

Amsterdam

Heineken Experience

The historic brewing facility of the world-famous Heineken beer brand welcomes visitors from all over the world to its visitor centre for brewery tour... show more

Amsterdam

Dutch Resistance Museum

The Dutch Resistance Museum (Verzetsmuseum) explores the story of the Netherlands and its people during World War II, through photography, vintage pos... show more

Amsterdam

The Netherlands Open Air Museum

The Netherlands Open Air Museum (Nederlands Openluchtmuseum) is located on a 44-hectare site in Arnhem and comprises buildings from different times in... show more

Arnhem

Vermeer Centre Delft

Vermeer Centre Delft (Vermeer Centrum Delft) is an arts centre dedicated to the work of the Delft-born painter Johannes Vermeer in the context of the ... show more

Delft

North Brabant Museum

North Brabant Museum (Het Noordbrabants Museum) is an art museum in Den Bosch's museum district, which focuses on the art and culture of the North Bra... show more

Den Bosch

MU Hybrid Art House

MU Hybrid Art House zooms in on the hybrid visual culture of the present day, shines the limelight on the artistic talent of the future and carries ou... show more

Eindhoven

Zuiderzee Museum

The Zuiderzee Museum is a museum dedicated to the cultural heritage and history of the Zuiderzee region - a part of the country that changed beyond re... show more

Enkhuizen

Stedelijk Museum Schiedam

Stedelijk Museum Schiedam is an art museum specialising in 20th century and contemporary Dutch art, including many artworks from the Cobra movement of... show more

Schiedam

National Jenever Museum

The National Jenever Museum in Schiedam is an ode to the traditional Dutch alcoholic drink Jenever (also known as Genever). For those curious about th... show more

Schiedam

Louwman Museum

The Louwman Museum prides itself on being the world's oldest private collection of coaches and cars. In the purpose-built museum in The Hague, there a... show more

The Hague

Beelden aan Zee Museum

Visit the only museum in the Netherlands focused purely on sculpture. Located in Scheveningen, the Beelden aan Zee Museum building, designed by Wim Qu... show more

The Hague

Utrecht Botanic Gardens

Utrecht Botanic Gardens are part of Utrecht University and are open to the public each year from March 1 until December 1. Covering nine hectares, thi... show more

Utrecht

Fashion For Good Experience

The Fashion For Good Experience is the world's first interactive museum dedicated to sustainable fashion innovation. The museum invites visitors to in... show more

Amsterdam

Dutch Flower Art Museum

The Flower Art Museum is a great boost to Aalsmeer as a globally-renowned horticultural town. It is the world's first museum dedicated entirely to con... show more

Aalsmeer

Aalsmeer Horticultural Museum

Aalsmeer Horticultural Museum brings visitors back in time to the rich history of flowers in Aalsmeer from 1300 to the present day. There is a permane... show more

Aalsmeer

Philips Museum

The history of Eindhoven is intertwined with the backstory of the world-famous electrical and electronic brand Philips. Experience the history of this... show more

Eindhoven

Power of Art House

In an intimate exhibition space on Entrepotdok, Power of Art House is using art to fight indifference. An interactive experience stimulates people to ... show more

Amsterdam

The Upside Down Museum

The Upside Down Museum is the most interactive museum you can imagine, featuring mesmerising optical illusions and Instagrammable sights! Create amazi... show more

Amsterdam

Madame Tussauds

Madame Tussauds Museum is situated in the bustling heart of Amsterdam, containing remarkably life-like wax replicas of celebrities. The collection is ... show more

Amsterdam

Museum Helmond

Museum Helmond has two locations: the 700 year old castle and the Kunsthal, where visitors can enjoy contemporary art. Their museum is an ideal day ou... show more

Helmond
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