Free museums in Amsterdam: what really costs nothing

Looking for free museums in Amsterdam? Then start with a reality check, because the list is short. Most large museums in the city charge adults for entry, from the Rijksmuseum to the Van Gogh Museum and the Stedelijk. Still, you can see real history and art without paying. A vault full of city stories, a museum garden and a planted rooftop are open to everyone. Travelling with children changes the picture, because several top museums let young visitors in free. Below you read what costs nothing, for whom, and when you still need to book.

The clearest example is the Amsterdam City Archives, the Stadsarchief, at Vijzelstraat 32. The exhibitions in the hall and in the Treasury are free, and you do not need to reserve. The Treasury sits in the former safe deposit of a bank and tells the story of the city in twelve chapters, from the prosperity of the VOC era to the squatter riots of the 1980s. Upstairs a gallery shows photographs by Amsterdam photographers. The Art Deco building by Karel de Bazel is worth the visit on its own, and it also houses the Amsterdam World Heritage visitor centre. Note that exhibitions in the separate exhibition room do need a ticket.

Two well known museums have a part you can enjoy without a ticket. The garden around the Rijksmuseum is open to everyone. Pierre Cuypers designed it in 1901, and you walk past sculptures, water features and flowerbeds before you even reach the door. Across town, on top of NEMO Science Museum, lies a large sloping square that reopened in 2025 with wooden decking and planting of 75 species. You climb the stairs on the east side of the building, no museum ticket needed, and it is free every day. Up there you study the clouds and spot city birds. Both spots are outdoors, so save them for a dry moment.

Adults pay at the big museums, but young visitors often do not. Each of these museums confirms free entry for this age group:

• Rijksmuseum: visitors up to 18
• Van Gogh Museum: ages 17 and under
• Stedelijk Museum: visitors under 19
• Amsterdam Museum at Amsterdam in Motion: children up to 17
• Eye Filmmuseum exhibitions: ages 0 to 17

Free does not mean you can simply walk in. The Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum ask you to book a start time online for every visitor, including those who pay nothing. So reserve tickets for the whole family before you travel, or you risk standing outside while the adults go in without you.

If you plan to see several paid museums, a pass may save you more than hunting for free ones. The Museumkaart, the Dutch annual museum pass, gives free entry to the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, the Stedelijk, NEMO, Amsterdam in Motion and the exhibitions at Eye. You still book a time slot where the museum asks for one. The I amsterdam City Card also gets you into the Stedelijk, NEMO and Amsterdam in Motion, and into the Eye exhibitions at the box office. Not every museum takes part: Moco Museum on Museumplein is private and does not accept the Museumkaart, although holders get a discount. Our Museumkaart guide explains how the pass works for visitors from abroad.