West-Indisch Huis

Western Canal Ring

LoginSave

Built in 1617 as a meat market and militia barracks, this historical building was rented by the Dutch West India Company (Geoctroyeerde West-Indische Compagnie; GWC) as its headquarters in 1623. It was here that the GWC's governors signed off on the construction of a fort on the island of Manhattan in 1625, establishing New Amsterdam (now New York City).

The booty of naval hero Admiral Piet Heyn was stored here in 1628 after his men captured the Spanish silver fleet off the coast of Cuba.

Today this landmark on the Herenmarkt is used as a conference venue and houses offices including the John Adams Institute, which fosters cultural ties between the USA and the Netherlands. You can enter the courtyard to see the statue of Peter Stuyvesant (c 1612–1672), the final Dutch director-general of the colony of New Netherland until its British acquisition.

The Oostindisch Huis, the headquarters of the Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie; VOC) is in Nieuwmarkt.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • AMSTERDAM - OCTOBER 3: Van Gogh museum building outstanding with design architectured in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on October 3, 2015.; Shutterstock ID 415294189; Your name (First / Last): Daniel Fahey; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: Van Gogh Museum POI

    Van Gogh Museum

    1.6 MILES

    This wonderful museum traces Van Gogh's life and artistic development via the world's largest collection of his work. More than 200 canvases are on…

  • Picnic in Vondelpark in afternoon light.

    Vondelpark

    1.34 MILES

    Attracting over 12 million visitors per year, Amsterdam’s favorite playground is the green expanse of Vondelpark, with its 116 acres (47 hectares) of…

  • February 13, 2018: Queue of people waiting to enter the Anne Frank museum house, with a passing tour boat on the canal.

    Anne Frank Huis

    0.48 MILES

    Visiting the Anne Frank Huis is one of Amsterdam's most profound experiences. Tragically, of the 107,000 Jewish adults and children deported from the…

  • Rijksmuseum with tulips in Amsterdam..NOTE: dated image - "iamamsterdam" sign has been removed from outside museum.

    Rijksmuseum

    1.43 MILES

    The Netherlands’ top treasure house, the Rijksmuseum (pronounced ‘rikes’), is among the world's finest art museums. With over 1.5km of galleries, it packs…

  • May 18, 2018: Exterior of the Rembrandt House Museum in the old Jewish quarter of Amsterdam.

    Museum het Rembrandthuis

    0.83 MILES

    Housed in Rembrandt's former home on lively Jodenbreestraat, this evocative museum provides an unparalleled insight into one of the Netherlands’ greatest…

  • The famous stained glass windows of Sint Janskerk ( saint John Church )of Gouda abound in political symbolism, reproducing figures and events of the time, and use biblical events to refer to the conflict between Spanish Catholics and Dutch Protestants that led to the Dutch Uprising of 1572.

    Sint Janskerk

    26.66 MILES

    Impressive for both its size and its magnificent stained-glass windows, Sint Janskerk had chequered beginnings: previous incarnations of the building…

  • Details from traditional fisherman village open-air museum (Zuiderzeemuseum), Netherland.; Shutterstock ID 1233901861; Your name (First / Last): Evan Godt; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: Netherlands destination page

    Zuiderzeemuseum

    28.15 MILES

    This captivating museum consists of two sections, 300m apart: open-air Buitenmuseum, with more than 130 rebuilt and relocated dwellings and workshops, and…

  • Hermitage Amsterdam

    H'Art Museum

    1.11 MILES

    Formerly a branch of St Petersburg’s State Hermitage Museum, H'Art Museum cut ties with Russia and now operates as an independent museum.

View more attractions

Nearby Western Canal Ring attractions

1. Poezenboot

0.14 MILES

Cat-lovers may want to check out this quirky boat on the Singel. It was founded in 1966 by a local woman who became legendary for looking after several…

2. Narrow House

0.15 MILES

It's often said that this house – which at 1.1m appears to be no wider than its door – has the narrowest facade in the city. But don't be deceived: the…

3. Ronde Lutherse Kerk

0.15 MILES

Built between 1668 and 1671, this domed church has the curious distinction of being the only round Protestant church in the country. Falling attendance…

4. Greenland Warehouses

0.16 MILES

The distinctive red-shuttered Greenland Warehouses were built in 1620. Whale oil was a sought-after ingredient for soap, lamp oil and paint, and wells…

5. Multatuli Museum

0.17 MILES

Better known by the pen name Multatuli (Latin for 'I have suffered greatly'), writer Eduard Douwes Dekker is most recognised for Max Havelaar (1860), his…

6. Van Brienenhofje

0.19 MILES

This charming hofje (courtyard) was named in the late 18th century for Jan van Brienen, who bought the Star Brewery located here, one of 13 breweries in…

7. Noorderkerk

0.23 MILES

Near the Prinsengracht's northern end, this imposing Calvinist church was completed in 1623 for the 'common' people in the Jordaan. (The upper classes…

8. De Rode Hoed

0.27 MILES

Occupying three glorious 17th-century canal houses – which once sheltered the Vrijburg, the largest clandestine church in the Netherlands – this cultural…