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Rijksmuseum
The Rijksmuseum, the national museum of the Netherlands, covers 800 years of Dutch history, including works by some of history's most influential artists.
The Rijksmuseum is the largest art museum in the Netherlands and is home to an impressive collection of world-famous works by such masters as Vincent Van Gogh, Rembrandt van Rijn, Johannes Vermeer, and Frans Hals. With the help of both artworks and historical artefacts, the national museum of the Netherlands tells the story of 800 years of Dutch art and history.
The Rijksmuseum takes you all the way from the Middle Ages to Mondrian. As well as featuring beautiful art work, some of the top attractions in the museum also include their collection of armoury, doll’s houses, and model ships. The museum further consists of the Cuypers Library, the largest and oldest art historical library in the Netherlands. Visitors, students and art historians alike are welcome to use the library to delve deeper into the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
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Discover Dutch masters like Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Van Gogh -
See the world-famous The Night Watch and Milkmaid -
Dive into history with artefacts from around the world
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Discover Dutch masters like Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Van Gogh
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See the world-famous The Night Watch and Milkmaid
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Dive into history with artefacts from around the world
Museumstraat 1
1071 XX Amsterdam
Museumstraat 1
1071 XX Amsterdam
The museum's collection consists of more than one million pieces. There are around 8,000 objects on display including paintings, sculptures, and historical artifacts, spanning from the year 1200 to the present. Some of the most notable art works on display include Rembrandt’s The Night Watch (1642), Vermeer’s The Milkmaid (1647), and one of Van Gogh’s untitled self-portraits (1887).
The current building of the Rijksmuseum, designed by Dutch architect Pierre Cuypers, first opened its doors in 1885 and has been a national heritage site since 1970. The most recent renovation project has made sure the museum continues to function as a connection between the past and the present as it combines the old with the modern. The atrium features a high glass ceiling and spacious, contemporary architecture that blends uniquely with the traditional red-brick walls.
The museum's collection consists of more than one million pieces. There are around 8,000 objects on display including paintings, sculptures, and historical artifacts, spanning from the year 1200 to the present. Some of the most notable art works on display include Rembrandt’s The Night Watch (1642), Vermeer’s The Milkmaid (1647), and one of Van Gogh’s untitled self-portraits (1887).
The current building of the Rijksmuseum, designed by Dutch architect Pierre Cuypers, first opened its doors in 1885 and has been a national heritage site since 1970. The most recent renovation project has made sure the museum continues to function as a connection between the past and the present as it combines the old with the modern. The atrium features a high glass ceiling and spacious, contemporary architecture that blends uniquely with the traditional red-brick walls.
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ChildrenChild ticket for 0-18 year olds
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Opening hoursMonday - Sunday: 9.00 - 17.00
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Ticket informationTicket directly available on smartphone
Tickets cannot be rescheduled or cancelled
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ChildrenChild ticket for 0-18 year olds
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Opening hoursMonday - Sunday: 9.00 - 17.00
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Ticket informationTicket directly available on smartphone
Tickets cannot be rescheduled or cancelled
- Free tours are available in the Rijksmuseum app in English, Dutch, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Russian and Mandarin
- Pets are not permitted inside the Rijksmuseum, except for service dogs
- Free tours are available in the Rijksmuseum app in English, Dutch, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Russian and Mandarin
- Pets are not permitted inside the Rijksmuseum, except for service dogs
A beautiful museum with amazing exhibits. We definitely underestimated how long it would take us to see the things we wanted to. I’ll definitely be back again!
Such an iconic museum. it is very easy to get lost and would definitely think about joining a tour group if we return. The café looks lovely but it was unfortunately full when we looked at siting down.
What a great museum! We bought tickets in advance and downloaded the app to plot out our visit. Many famous things, such as night watch but literally around every corner, was something new and interesting. We only had the afternoon you could easily spend all day here
Visited on 6th May All staff very friendly and helpful. There was so much to see! One of the best museums I've ever been to! Lost or interesting and unique pieces. I especially loved the dolls houses. Would definitely recommend for all ages :)
We lived for almost a year in Amsterdam and for part for this time my kid didn't attend school. During this time I visited Rijksmuseum almost daily - sometimes with a special cushion and colour pencils to make our visits more experiential and creative. I appreciate this place for its beauty, great collection and for being not too overcrowded. And of course we loved museum shop and cafe!
This museum is massive! Lots to see and even then you won't see it all. We didn't realise we couldn't buy entry tickets at the door so luckily we had brought our phones and could buy some from a nearby cafe. If you want to see it all you will need the whole day and walk alot!
May 2024 - a great museum. Easy online tickets from official museum website, as my title says - make an booking to enter at opening, line to enter forms earlier, have a plan for viewing, get museum cafe snack or lunch before noon, if possible go on a weekday. All to avoid the crowds: it’s worth the effort to be in the Gallery of Honour with like 5-7 other people there. Guided tour would be great but they were booked out a month ahead of our visit. Added on to our ticket (free) visit to the special Franz Hall exhibition. Download the app for the free audio guide (please take your own headphones - really annoying listening to others blast their phone speakers). Thoroughly enjoyed this world class museum! Staff friendly and helpful, plenty of info online for planning, lots to do in the museum zone. My only complaint was the very specific instructions on the museum website for bags, purses, backpacks, etc ( no larger than an ‘A 4’ sheet of paper - letter size) was completely ignored by staff at the entrance on our visit. We abided the rule only to be smacked around by backpacks as the galleries became crowded. Minor detail but annoying.
A visit to Amsterdam is not complete without a stop at the RijksMuseum. In general, this space is not well signed and not easy to get around without alot of unecessary walking in circles. The map is not exactly clear. The elevator is constantly full so caution to those with challenges, have patience when waiting for the elevator. BUT the art exhibits are stellar. DO get tickets in advance DO get a snack at the coffee shop inside A lovely stop. Saw a Rembrandt, Vermeer and Van Gogh.
Wonderful experience. We only were able to see just a small fraction of the collection! Easy access to get around the museum for those on crutches.
Guided 1 hour tour (7.50 extra) after free entry via I Amsterdam app was great. Lovely staff. Great work to see. Worth 2 hours minimum visit. Loved hearing the stories behind the painting from knowledgeable staff. Guided tour has headphones system for human to speak to you thorough (rather than self guided) so you don't miss anything. The Dutch know how to provide a good experience
Fantastic museum. We spent 4 hours here and was nowhere near enough, the museum is vast - will have to make a 2nd trip! Do take a "highlights of the Rijksmuseum" guided tour! A special thanks to Hugo who was brilliant in the hour tour we had with him - we both learnt so much from him about the history of the museum - and some of the significant artworks by Vermeer and Rembrandt. Highly recommended.
We spent 5 hours in here & I don't believe we saw everything. One gallery after the next had fabulous pieces. Recommend going early in the day if possible as the famous pieces such as the van Gogh pieces & The Night Watch can be crowded
This is the biggest and most complete must visit museum in Amsterdam. It has all collections from all ages and history of the country. An immersive culture program with different interests from classic paintings , clothes, sculptures, objects, maritime life etc. It has also pieces of Van Gogh and Rembrandt , so in case you didn’t book in advance Van Gogh museum , you can still enjoy this visit! Around 2h for a quick visit !
We had a guided tour through Viator that made all the difference with seeing the art. Head to the 2nd floor for the must see art! If you don’t go in, at least bike or walk through the passageway.
Definitely worth a visit. The collection of Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Van Gogh paintings were terrific! We thoroughly enjoyed the lower level galleries too - a must-see exhibition of everything from maritime models and musical instruments, to French fashion and ancient weapons! Amazing variety and so interesting. The in-museum cafe also serves delicious food and coffee whenever you need to refuel your group!
Wonderful museum and tons of amazing works. We focused on the second floor and had a paid guide. The guide really brought it all to life, but also there are some wonderful laminated large cards that point out key things about some of the more significant works. You could spend weeks here taking it all in. We enjoyed the cafe after the tour. The food was fresh and there were a variety of options. The service was excellent and the system of ordering with the QR code was efficient.
An amazing museum with a lot of pieces from different eras. It's big and stunning. Especially the öibrary was amazing. A must visit.
Loved the museum. I was glad I pre-ordered tickets, but it wasn't necessary. Just means the line is smaller. There's a lot of stuff to see, so we prioritized: Giving ourselves time to look at the building and the stained glass inside Vermeer Rembrandt Delft pottery Ship models (these were super cool and very unique to this museum) Dollhouses (yes!) If you have more time, see more, but for my family, the like to know what are the must-see's.
Other than Rembrandt, Johannes Vermeer, Govert Flinck, Jan Havicksz Steen to Vincnet Van Gogh. There were many retrofits to the interior and furniture from 1600. Through paintings, furniture, and collections, we can learn what was happening and who lived in the Netherlands from the mid-century to the 20th century. People crowded, but spaces were sufficient to study each item. I would visit again if I visited Amsterdam next time. I am pretty sure.
We wanted to get into the Van Gogh musem but it was booked solid for 2 weeks out so we went to Rijks Museum. It was good with a few Van Goghs, plus quite a number of Rembrandts as well as Vermeer and a Monet. Staff were helpful and we had a light lunch in their cafeteria.
A must see if visiting Amsterdam. We went with teens and everyone found something they liked. We could not get into the Anne frank house, or the Van Gogh museum, but we think this is enough! There are some Van Goghs here, plus Rembrandt and Vermeer. It was pretty busy when we went, but people moved through things quickly, so you were able to see the popular artworks.
Beautiful museum, they have a lot of different types of art and that surprised me! We walked around for 4 hours and it was very interesting. I definitely recommend if you’re in amsterdam and loves art!
This impressive building hosts some marvelous and famous art. 90% of what we wanted to see was contained in the Central Hall which included the superb Vermeers and the Rembrandts. Stand-outs were Rembrandt’s huge Night Watch and Treaty of Munster. We hunted down a few other works including a large canvas of the battle of Waterloo. There was a special exhibit of Hals and it was interesting to learn about his special technique and that he was painting master quality canvases in a short time, sometimes in one sitting. Remember to make a free timed entrance reservation before arriving – even if you are using the I Heart Amsterdam Card.
Highly recommend doing the guided tour which provides interesting information and background to the collection and highlights. Learned a lot! Exquisite pieces of several famous Dutch painters that are must-sees.
Prepare to be awestruck at the Rijksmuseum—where art and history weave together in a tapestry of wonder! Booking tickets online in advance is a stroke of genius; they don't sell them onsite! From the majestic halls to the intimate galleries, each masterpiece, including stunning stained glass, intricate dollhouses, and impressive ship models, tells a story that captivates the heart and mind. And yes, you'll find a mesmerizing Van Gogh piece here too! The museum's layout is as brilliant as its exhibits, making navigation a breeze. We were enchanted by Rembrandt's strokes and Vermeer's light—truly a treasure trove of Dutch artistry. For a cultural adventure that's both enriching and enchanting, the Rijksmuseum is an absolute must-visit in Amsterdam!
It is large, if one only has limited time I would recommend engaging the services of a private guide and share your interests with them. This museum is way too large to view by yourself without contracting museum fatigue. We had four hours and Mrs. Shamaal walks with the aid of a cane so I guide who could arrange the outside elevator and knew where the inside ones were was a tremendous asset. For the most popular and famous paintings the Gallery of Honor has sequestered these items separately. We had a stress-free experience and truly enjoyed ourselves, even the tweenage Shamaalina.
Amazing spot on the very edge of the city center of Amsterdam. If you're around the city especially coming to the centrum via public transport which might literally drop you next to famous Rijksmuseum (next to big famous photo place with big Amsterdam letters sign) definitely do not miss it , it is an important part of overall Ams gained experience.
There's so much to see in this museum make sure you give yourself enough time to do it justice. It's worth taking a guide or an audio tour to be sure to see the best bits. The gardens around the museum are lovely and a great place to sit on a nice day. Getting tickets wasn't a problem - we just turned up and did it online at the door with our IAM card.
When you are in Amsterdam schedule at least 4 hours for this museum, and more if you have the time. We booked it through a Viator site, but should have saved the money and gone through the museum's web site. It is first class and on par with the Smithsonian or British Museum.
This museum was an excellent experience recommended by the concierge at the Hotel Okura. Upon viewing the exhibits, I realized how much I had forgotten about the Dutch history as studied in elementary school over 70 years ago. And some of the inspiring art work from 400 years ago......well before my country was even established. This was a very worthwhile experience.
Great art museum, one of the worlds great art museums. Its large so budget for a day here i think if you want to see the best of it. If you havent bought a ticket online or using the QR code there is a place with the sign Museum shop one side of the museum where you can buy a ticket and please be careful of the bicycles going through the middle arches of the building! The Van gogh portrait is wonderful and the Night Watch well worth seeing but I also particularly enjoyed the asian pavilion and the arms exhibit. Also the exhibitions detailing Hollands colonial past on places like Suriname and the Antilles was very informative. Rembrandt, vermeer, van gogh what else can you say. Take a walk around the gardens also, they have some lovely sculptures, especially at the front of the museum and a nice wing nut tree at the back. The gardens are free but i believe a single adult ticket was about 22 euro.
Booked special entry for the Frans Hals exhibition that was amazing. Separate section and a lot to see. It is a huge museum, and I was very happy to have the audio tour, that allowed me to choose which pieces I wanted to hear about. It was a thrill to see some specific paintings that I had always wanted to see. I spent the day and had lunch on site.
Great museum, lots of information on the exhibits. Slightly difficult to navigate for many people but eventually you understand the layout of the building.
Only spent about 2 hours but it could have been two days. Lots to see over the three floors that have been organized by time periods. The top floor covers the heyday of the Netherlands in the 17th century and is full of examples of the riches created during this era. Highly recommend an audio guide or a regular guide to help interpret everything that is on display.
stunning art museum. try to go as early as possible and book in advance. cannot overestimate how incredible the art is. timed entry helps but it gets very crowded. could spend a few hours here easily
Such an amazing art museum. It's up there with Musée d'Orsay in quality. Starting with our favorite, Vincent Van Gogh!, followed by other favorites, Rembrandt (several of his including his most famous, The Night Watch!), Vermeer (including his most famous, The Milkmaid!). So many other incredible artists in one collection. A very powerful collection that was so exciting to visit.
Our Guide, Martinas, was extremely knowledgeable and highly proficient in explaining the depth of the artist’s skills. She worked very hard to maximize our time in the museum.
Beautiful building but massive queue to enter, it was raining & we were waiting outside for about half an hour even with our 10am pre-booked slot! I love museums & art, the museum is massive & full of works of art, you could really spend the whole day there but there wasn't really a lot that I was personally interested in so a couple of hours was plenty for us. To be honest it was worth it just to see Rembrandt's The Night Watch! The library was an unexpected highlight for me- I loved it!
Massive and worth it! I was in there for hours and it absolutely did not feel like enough. So much to take in! Lots and lots of people though, so be prepared to wait.
The museum is a good place to explore, especially on a rainy day. There were people crowding around famous paintings like Rembrandt's The Night Watch, but most areas were not like that.
What an amazing place! I wish I had more time to spend there because there were other exhibits I would have liked to see. We went to see the Frans Hals exhibit and it was amazing. What a fabulous painter. It almost seemed as if the lace and other materials he painted in the portraits were real, that you could actually touch them. This is an exhibit not to miss. I also visited The Night Watch painting and the other Gallery of Honor paintings of Vermeer. All excellent! I enjoyed being able to view these masters as the opportunity to do so has been on my bucket list.
We came to the museum in May to see the excellent Frans Hals exhibition. The Rijksmuseum is enormous and spacious with clear signage and free lockers for your coats and bags. Directed by a downloadable app on our mobile phones, the commentary to Frans Hals was in crystal clear English and highlighted about 22 of the paintings in the exhibition. Frans Hals painted portraits almost exclusively – and they lack the humanity of his contemporary, Rembrandt. But the exhibition was interesting, engaging and informative. I learned a lot about Hals as a society painter in the 17th century. After a cup of coffee in the buffet (slow service, and pricey) we then took the Highlights tour which was equally excellent. It took us around about twenty key exhibits ranging from the famous ‘Nighwatch’ by Rembrandt, through a couple of mediocre impressionists, some Van Goghs and even some Japanese sculpture. Again, clearly explained, not too wordy and refreshingly unpretentious. Each tour took about 75 minutes and we thoroughly recommend them both.
I enjoyed the Rijksmuseum. There are many great paintings here. It is extremely crowded, though. I have been to most of the big museums in Europe and this one felt the most crowded by far. I ended my visit a little early because it was so crowded. It is a great museum with great art so I would definitely recommend it but be ready for the crowds.
Dear all, Netherland is a contry where you can find a lot of museums, monuments, canals and fantastic restaurant from the world dishes. We have had fantastic opportunity at May to visit Den Haag and Rotterdam. Communication in Den Haag and Rotterdam is perfect but not cheep. Even you decide on the tram or train you need to be prepared spent more euros. However, if you visited the Rotterdam Rijksmuseum, money is does not mater. Fantastic Flemish painters, sculptors, or unbelievable history of Dutch and Flemish of conquests. The last one is proofed by the cabinets, pictures, porcelance, glasses and other hand made products delivered from the distant lands. But the Cherrie on the cake is Rembrandt and his pictures. You can forgot about the time. "The Night guards" this is minimum hour, maybe two, but this is only one small level. In the museum we have to visit minimum 4 levels, this is one day minimum. Truly, two days do not enough to visit all levels and all rooms. On the end we visited the shop gallery with reproductions. Next hour and next euros, gone, but with out of stress. I can recommend visit in Rotterdam. This is must have.
The first thing that hits you as you approach the Rijksmuseum is its beautiful architecture. Once inside, the Rembrandt paintings alone are worth the price of admission. The Dutch Masters and the Night Watch are 2 famous paintings amongst the vast Rembrandt collection. There is also a 3 painting collection of Van Gogh works. Another highlight for me was on the ground floor that includes a large collection of ship models. The museum layout is well thought out by the curators and provides a nice crowd flow. My small group only allowed ourselves to stay for one hour, so we missed out on fully appreciating the vast collection of artwork, porcelain pieces, and sculpture. The outdoor gardens and fountains were well kept. Overall, a must see when visiting Amsterdam.
It’s a must - buy tickets first from the ticket booth 4-5 minutes walk south of the museum. Tickets for adults are €22.50 each and during busy times will have a fixed time to enter. On arrival pick up a floor plan - but my advice is head straight to see the Van Gogh and Rembrandt paintings - wow. I attach just a few pictures to get your interest peaked! There’s a nice gift shop and cafe on the entry level and elevators/ lifts if the steps are too much for the 3 floors. So much to see, very knowledgeable staff - be aware your bags are searched and if you wear a backpack you’ll need to wear it on your chest not your back! Tip? Allow at least 3 hours to really enjoy the visit and look at the gardens too which do justice to the beautiful building too!
The museum is quite huge and impressive enough. Even lesser known artists had their share of greatness inside. But you can really be pressed with time particularly if you’re in a tour group which is my case. So I suggest going to the highlight first before touring around . I am referring to the Night Watch which has its own freshening up when we came. So be ready to be slightly disappointed. Now I am not sure of its present condition set up . For those not in a rush spend 2-3 hours here , have some snacks and then purchase souvenirs.
The Rijks is easy to reach by the tram, and very close to the Van Gogh Museum. You can easily do both in one day. Most people will spend one to two hours here. I found it interesting that there are fewer Rembrandts than at the Louvre. If you are among the first in, go directly to the highlights section on the second floor to beat the crowds and get a better look at The Watchmen. Be careful waking through the covered part of the building at the entrances. Bikes zip through like the road is part of the Tour de France. I had a good stroopwafel from a food truck set up in a small park behind the museum.
The Rijksmuseum is definitely a must see if you’re in Amsterdam:) the painting collection, as well as the collection of weapons and ships will strike not only teenagers (I had two with me:)), but also adults who have seen a lot of museums. It’s very well organised: one can get an audio guide (available for additional payment), but also use your own smartphone by simply downloading an application. I recommend you reserve at least 3 hours for the visit.
The Rijks museum was amazing. So much to see. The craftsmanship in the works on display is amazing and take the time, to stroll around the lovely gardens as well. With mobility issues I was always on the lookout for Lifts/elevators to make it easier to get from floor to floor and that wasn't a problem there. We only had time to spend a few hours there but did manage coffee and cake at the cafe. You will not be able to take big bags with you as is the case with most museums but they have a very good bag drop area. Be prepared to queue there, it can get very busy.
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