Museums in Amsterdam
With more than 50 museums, compact Amsterdam packs a big cultural punch. From long-established institutions famous around the globe to lesser-known hidden treasures, the permanent and temporary collections here offer art, history, the unexpected and the unusual. In recent years, photography and multimedia exhibitions have also been booming.
World-renowned bastions of art and history
First-time visitors will likely want to visit some Amsterdam's most famous museums. The Rijksmuseum houses masterpieces of Golden Age glory. Marvel at Vincent's visible brush strokes and his uneasy life at the Van Gogh Museum. The exceptionally moving story told at the Anne Frank House is somber yet inspirational. The recently renovated Hermitage Amsterdam features the fortunes of Czarist Russia. See how the city's most famous resident lived at the Rembrandthuis. And be one of the first inside the new state-of-the-art space for modern and contemporary art when the acclaimed Stedelijk Museum reopens at the end of 2009.
Amsterdam's hidden treasures
Tired of pushing past people to see Golden Age paintings? Amsterdam's smaller museums are hidden cultural treasures. Have a penchant for purses? Consider the Tassenmuseum (Bag Museum). Museum Het Schip is a stunning example of Amsterdam School architecture, while Museum Willet-Holthuysen is the only fully restored canal house that's open to the public daily. Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder (also called Museum Amstelkring), within walking distance of Central Station, is tucked away in the attic of a building. Founded in the Protestant-dominated 17th century, this secret chapel would host Catholic mass. The Jewish Historical Museum (JHM) displays objects and artifacts related to the religion, culture and history of Jews in the Netherlands. Part of the museum is designed especially for children, where they can learn about the life of a typical Dutch Jewish family. Here it's explained why Jews should not eat certain products and why it is sometimes more acceptable to make noise than to be silent.
Van Gogh Museum
A visit to the Van Gogh Museum is a unique experience. The museum contains the largest collection of paintings by Vincent van Gogh in the world. It provides the opportunity to keep track of the artist's developments, or compare his paintings to works by other artists from the 19th century in the collection. The museum also holds an extensive offer of exhibitions on various subjects from 19th-century art history.
Permanent collection
The museum’s permanent collection includes more than 200 paintings by Van Gogh and many drawings and letters. You will find a selection on the pages that follow.
Other artists in the collection
In addition to work by Van Gogh, the museum has a rich and varied collection of other 19th-century art. The artists represented include Impressionists, Post-Impressionists and others: Van Gogh’s friends and contemporaries, those who inspired him, and those who drew inspiration from him.
Rijksmuseum
Built in 1876 according to a design by architect P.J.H. Cuypers, the Rijksmuseum is the biggest museum of the Netherlands. It features a famous collection of works by Rembrandt (the Night Watch), Vermeer and Frans Hals as well as delftware, sculpture, Asian art and prints.
Authentic sources from the past
The Rijksmuseum has a very extensive cultural history collection, which includes paintings, ship models, sculptures, archaeological artefacts, clothing, weapons, historical prints, photographs, etc. In short, the items in the Rijksmuseum collection cover the entire spectrum and together form a single historical memory. The items comprise hundreds of thousands of objects from the past, which together give a visual account of the Netherlands' history within a global context. It goes without saying that users must approach this collection from their own angle. One of the defining characteristics of the objects is that they must satisfy criteria such as authenticity, visual power of expression, a clear provenance and context and their significance with respect to the knowledge and evocation of Dutch history, both at national and international level. Objects that do not meet these criteria are in principle not acquired. The Rijksmuseum itself uses the collection as a point of departure to tell all kinds of 'stories' in books, web publications, exhibitions, 'permanent' presentations, audio tours, etc.
Restoration
While the restoration of the main building is underway, the Rijksmuseum is displaying the crème de la crème of its permanent collection in the newly furnished Philips Wing. 'Rijksmuseum, The Masterpieces' offers the unique opportunity to view all the highlights of the Golden Age in one place.
FOAM- Fotografie Museum Amsterdam
Foam_Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam exhibits all genres of photography: fine art, documentary, applied, historical and contemporary. It’s a museum with international allure and a creative hub where photographers can meet and participate in forums and symposiums. Along with large exhibitions of established (world) famous photographers, Foam also exhibits emerging young talent in smaller short-term shows. At any moment you will find at least three different exhibitions in Foam.
Besides showcasing several exhibitions Foam also issues its own international photography magazine (Foam Magazine). In its beautiful building on the Keizersgracht you can find a great bookstore and a nice café. Foam organises special tours, lectures and discussions, films and other events on a regular basis.
For more information and the current exhibition schedule check www.foam.nl
Cobra Museum of Modern Art
The Cobra museum has a permanent collection of top pieces from the Cobra museum collection, which is exhibited simultaneously with interesting temporary collections of modern and contemporary art.
Stedelijk Museum Bureau Amsterdam
Stedelijk Museum Bureau Amsterdam (SMBA) is a project space of the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam and located in the city centre. The objective of SMBA is to present contemporary art from an Amsterdam context and to create an international context for it by organizing exhibitions, lectures, debates, publications and residency programmes.
Film Museum
The Filmmuseum is Holland's museum for cinematography. The museum's collection of films covers the whole of the history of cinema from the very first silent films, dating from the late 19th century, up to the latest contemporary digital productions.
This internationally renowned collection, to which many Dutch and foreign titles are regularly added, is the source of inspiration for the museum's film programmes, exhibitions and events. Every year, there are major thematic programmes examining the history of film and contemporary cinematographic developments. In addition, the museum organises open-air screenings, festivals, theatrical family shows and retrospectives.
The Filmmuseum houses the largest film library in the Netherlands. The museum also acts as distributor of classics and contemporary, independent films.
Madame Tussauds Amsterdam
Madame Tussauds Amsterdam is now interactive and sensationally different! Not only will you come face to face with celebrities, but you can now also shop ‘til you drop with superstar Jennifer Lopez, test your soccer skills against Ronaldinho, or have your picture taken with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie! And if you’re brave enough you will meet Captain Jack Sparrow and have his cursed pirates scare the life out of you!
Amsterdam’s most fun museum has come alive! Why not come and visit us and get up close to your favourite celebrities. Stars such as Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Lopez, George Clooney, Kylie Minoque and many more are all under one roof at the museum. Visit Captain Jack Sparrow and step on to The Black Pearl, lay down next to Robbie Williams, mix your own tracks together with Tiësto or test your football skills while Ronaldinho is watching you. We believe that an experience is the essence of a good time and the making of a great memory. So come and live out a fantasy and stand next to your heroes.
Museum of Bags and Purses
The Hendrikje Museum of Bags and Purses displays the history of the western ladies bag from the late Middle Ages up to the present day. It is the only museum in the world with such a comprehensive and specialized collection: 16th century handbags; 17th century pouches and alms bags; 18th century pockets, purses and chatelaine bags; 19th century reticules and stocking purses, and from the 20th and 21st centuries, well-known brands of design bags, evening bags, special models and contemporary bags.
The collection
The museum manages a collection of more than 4000 bags, pouches, cases, purses and accessories. This collection demonstrates that the bag exists in a wide variety of forms, functions, materials and decorations. Societal developments and styles in art and fashion have influenced the bag throughout the centuries.
The collection has been praised both at home and abroad for its diversity and quality. The museum assists nationally and internationally on exhibitions, and it is considered one of the top eight fashion museums in the world.
Historical building
The Hendrikje Museum of Bags and Purses is located in an imposing historical building on the Herengracht, built in 1664 for the mayor of Amsterdam at that time. It forms part of a row of four buildings built around the same time, sharing the same cornice and having the same layout. This is unique for buildings in the ring of canals (de grachtengordel) in Amsterdam. The museum houses two period rooms with painted ceilings and chimney paintings dating from the 17th- and 18th centuries.
The whole building was restored. The classical details have been combined with modern design ina stylish manner. The atmospheric museum café is situated at the rear of the building, offering a view of the museum’s historical garden.
Anne Frank House
For more than two years Anne Frank and her family lived in hiding in the annex of the building at Prinsengracht 263 where Anne’s father, Otto Frank, had his business. The Van Pels family and Fritz Pfeffer were in hiding with them. The doorway to the annex was concealed behind a moveable bookcase constructed especially for this purpose. The office personnel knew of the hiding place and helped the eight people by supplying them with food and news from the outside world. On August 4, 1944, the hiding place was betrayed. The people in hiding were deported to various concentration camps. Only Otto Frank survived the war.
Nowadays, the rooms at the Anne Frank House, though empty, still breathe the atmosphere of the hiding period. Quotations from the diary, historical documents, photographs, film images, and original objects that belonged to those in hiding and the helpers illustrate the events that took place. Anne’s original diary and other notebooks are on display in the museum. In the multimedia area, visitors can go on a “virtual journey” through the Anne Frank House, obtaining background information about the people in hiding and about World War Two. A contemporary exhibition is presented in the exhibition hall.
During the summer-season many people from all over the world visit the Anne Frank House. This can mean people have to line up before entering the museum. Many visitors seem to be unaware of the fact that from March 15 through September 14 the museum is opened every day from 9 am till 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. The museum tends to be more quiet during the evening. Therefore, we would like to suggest our visitors to consider visiting the museum in the evening.
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Anne Frank Museum
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