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All 476 Amsterdam Attractions »

Amsterdam Historical Museum (Historisch Museum)

Kalverstraat 92 and Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal 359, Amsterdam 1001, The Netherlands
31 20 523 1822
Ranked #37 of 243 attractions in Amsterdam
4.0 of 5 stars 83 Reviews
Type: History Museums
Owner description: Housed in a splendid 17th-century building that was a former civic orphanage, this museum tell the history of Amsterdam through its vast collection of...... more » Owner description: Housed in a splendid 17th-century building that was a former civic orphanage, this museum tell the history of Amsterdam through its vast collection of art and artifacts from medieval times to the present. « less
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83 reviews from our community

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Date Rating
Pulau Penang, Malaysia
Contributor
14 reviews 14 reviews
Reviews in 8 cities Reviews in 8 cities
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 28 May 2012 NEW

Coincidentally wandered into this place though we had the free entry from the Iamsterdam card and loved it. More

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Bristol, United Kingdom
Contributor
12 reviews 12 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
8 helpful votes 8 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 17 May 2012

We spent quite a long time here, starting with the DNA experience which is a 45 minute interactive introduction to Amsterdam. I was very impressed by the use of technology here and found using the QR code on the leaflet much better than the normal headphone experience, which I loathe and generally avoid. More

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See 4 more reviews by Belinda89 for Amsterdam
Ottawa, Canada
Senior Contributor
32 reviews 32 reviews
Reviews in 11 cities Reviews in 11 cities
5 helpful votes 5 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 16 May 2012

The Amsterdam Historical Museum is quite large, but you can be selective in how you do it. The initial few rooms provide a timeline overview but few artifacts. After that, various rooms cover different time periods. I would recommend being selective or it will take all day. It is tempting to focus on the 17th Century of Amsterdam as the... More

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See 8 more reviews by Terry L for Amsterdam
Alberta
Contributor
20 reviews 20 reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
18 helpful votes 18 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 15 May 2012

This museum takes a look a both past and present elements of Amsterdam and doesn't feel like a history lesson. The exhibit Amsterdam DNA is interactive and modern. The videos give a good summary of different periods in Dutch history. Different key moments are presented in an interesting way. It was tricky to figure out what we were supposed to... More

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See 2 more reviews by CDN_Wanderer for Amsterdam
Chicago, Illinois
Senior Contributor
42 reviews 42 reviews
Reviews in 19 cities Reviews in 19 cities
17 helpful votes 17 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 7 May 2012

Well done with great interactive exhibits. I found it very informative and fun. It is a little confusing. At first there was a clear way to go, then we were fumbling about. But I think it is because of the space they have to deal with. Aside from that, it was a highlight in our day. Also knowing the history... More

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See 6 more reviews by parisparis5 for Amsterdam
Melbourne, Australia
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 27 April 2012
1
person found this review helpful

I enjoyed the first part of the museum as it takes you through Dutch history. Theres lots of interactive parts and audio that gives great insight of the Netherlands through the different periods. Have to agree with others on the bad layout of the exhibits. Its very confusing and I found myself wondering around unsure of what I had/had not... More

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London
Contributor
12 reviews 12 reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 27 April 2012

The history of Amsterdam is presented in a interesting and visually appealing way. Written descriptions are in Dutch and English. "Amsterdam DNA" makes it possible to activate videos and narratives throughout the museum in your own language. This is one of the new generation museums -- dusty displays have been replaced by a much more striking and interactive approach. More

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See 6 more reviews by VanDerMeid for Amsterdam
Shelton, Connecticut
Contributor
18 reviews 18 reviews
Reviews in 7 cities Reviews in 7 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 24 April 2012

Ran into the museum while searching for someplace else. The exhibits were interesting, loved the interactive and hologram exhibits. Only drawback was that it was on several levels (lots of stairs) and only direction through the exhibits. Never made it to the large exhibit hall on the ground floor, but you could see the exhibits from the different levels. Needs... More

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See 2 more reviews by eamorgan for Amsterdam
Israel
Senior Contributor
28 reviews 28 reviews
Reviews in 9 cities Reviews in 9 cities
14 helpful votes 14 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 23 April 2012

I went to this museum after visiting the Grachtenhuis Canal museum. You would be far better off there, as the latter is much better organised. the Amsterdam Museum is confused and sign posting is bad - an exhibition of trade with Turkey advertised all over town was hard to find inside the museum and rather miserable when you got to... More

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See 11 more reviews by IsraelArchaeologist for Amsterdam
London, UK
Senior Contributor
23 reviews 23 reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
9 helpful votes 9 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 21 April 2012

The museum was very quiet when we visited. There is a lot of refurbishment work but there is still a lot to see. When we arrived I was a bit disappointed but after 10 minutes found myself drawn into the history of the city. The collection is really well curated and there were some wonderful finds like an early Mondriaan... More

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See 6 more reviews by Nics17 for Amsterdam

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