Amsterdam Museum

Top choice in Medieval Centre & Red Light District

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Entrepreneurship, free thinking, citizenship and creativity are the four cornerstones of the multimedia DNA exhibit at this riveting museum, which splits Amsterdam's history into seven key periods, comprehensively described by audioguides (included in admission). Unlike at many of the city's museums, crowds are rare. It's reached via the arcade containing the free Civic Guard Gallery off Kalverstraat 92.

The museum occupies Amsterdam's former civic orphanage, and a special exhibition aimed at kids covers 17th-century orphanage life, with displays of dormitories, classrooms, bathrooms and kitchens.

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Nearby Medieval Centre & Red Light District attractions

1. Civic Guard Gallery

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Part of the Amsterdam Museum – consider it the free ‘teaser' – this gallery fills a laneway next to the museum’s entrance. It displays 15 grand posed…

2. Begijnhof

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Dating from the early 14th century, this enclosed former convent is a peaceful haven, with tiny houses and postage-stamp gardens around a well-kept…

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One of two churches located in the Begijnhof, the Engelse Kerk was built around 1392. It was eventually rented out to the local community of English and…

4. Begijnhof Kapel

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Contained within the Begijnhof and dating from 1671, this is a 'clandestine' chapel where the Beguines were forced to worship after the Calvinists took…

5. Fashion for Good

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The world’s first sustainable fashion museum delves into the history of fashion, the latest industry technology and innovation, and the stories behind day…

6. Houten Huis

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Located in the Begijnhof, the Houten Huis dates from around 1465, making it the oldest preserved wooden house in the Netherlands.

7. Papegaai

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An unexpected oasis in the sea of consumerism on Kalverstraat, the curious Petrus en Pauluskerk, aka Papegaai, is a Catholic church from the 17th century…

8. Rokin

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South of the Dam, this street is part of the route most visitors take from Centraal Station into town, the name being a corruption of rak-in (inward reach…