Theater Instituut Nederland

Lonely Planet review

Theatre buffs will be in their element at the Theater Museum. Exhibits cover the history of Dutch theatre via dioramas (including the first theatre built in Amsterdam, in 1638); displays of costumes from lush to stark; heady sepia-toned early photographs of 19th-century actors; and video clips of famous modern-day productions.

It's also a unique opportunity to learn about one of the most interesting legacies of the Dutch theatre: the rederijkamers (chambers of rhetoric), medieval literary societies that staged large-scale productions throughout the Netherlands and Flanders. Most signage is in English.

Even if you're not interested in theatre, the museum has a stunning interior, and spills over into the Bartolotti House (Herengracht 170-172), which has one of the most stunning facades in the city: a red-brick, Dutch Renaissance job that follows the bend of the canal. It was built in 1615 by Hendrick de Keyser and his son Pieter.