The Amsterdam Museum tells the story of the city and its people, from a small village on the Amstel to the busy capital of today. Its main home, the former City Orphanage on the Kalverstraat, is closed for a large renovation. You can still visit the museum, though. At Cultuurpark Westergas you find Amsterdam in Motion, a model of the city covering 200 square metres with projections and sound. On the Herengracht the museum opens the doors of Willet-Holthuysen House, a canal house with period rooms.
- Location
- Amsterdam in Motion, Zuiveringshal Oost, Pazzanistraat 19-23, Amsterdam
- Type
- City history
- Highlights
- A 200 square metre model of Amsterdam with 30,500 buildings
- Also open
- Willet-Holthuysen House, Herengracht 605
- Free entry
- Children up to 17, Museumkaart and I amsterdam City Card holders
- Good to know
- The main building on the Kalverstraat is closed for renovation
What you see at Amsterdam in Motion
In the Zuiveringshal Oost at Cultuurpark Westergas, the city lies at your feet. The model measures 200 square metres and holds 30,500 buildings, each placed by hand and made with 3D printers and traditional craftsmanship. The museum calls it the largest multimedia model of a city in the world. During a show of about fifteen minutes, projections, sound and a voice tell how Amsterdam grew from 1275 to the city it is now. Housing shortages, power cuts and squatters all pass by. Upstairs the story continues in an interactive exhibition about topics such as housing, migration and nature.
Willet-Holthuysen House on the Herengracht
The museum's second address is a canal house at Herengracht 605. In Willet-Holthuysen House you walk through period rooms and hear the stories of the people who lived and worked there. The house shows how wealthy Amsterdammers lived along the canals. The Amsterdam Museum also uses the rooms for exhibitions that question where the wealth of the canal belt came from. A visit fits well into a walk through the canal ring. Check what is on before you go, because the exhibitions in the rooms change.
The Amsterdam Museum in the City Orphanage
The permanent home is the former Burgerweeshuis, or City Orphanage, between the Kalverstraat and the Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal. The complex was first a convent and then an orphanage for centuries. For about fifty years the Amsterdam Museum has been based here. The monument is now being thoroughly renovated: old rooms are being restored, new spaces added and a large window on the corner of the Sint Luciënsteeg will let passers by look inside. The gate on the Kalverstraat stays, and the courtyard remains open to the public. According to the planning, the Amsterdam Museum should reopen in the building around 2030.
Planning your visit to the Amsterdam Museum
Children and teenagers up to 17 get into Amsterdam in Motion for free. Holders of the Museumkaart, the Dutch annual museum pass, the I amsterdam City Card and the Stadspas also go in without paying. The Westergas park lies on the edge of the Westerpark, so you can easily turn your visit into an afternoon with a walk or a drink outside. Want to see more of the city's history afterwards? The Anne Frank House is a short bike ride away. For other ideas, browse all museums in Amsterdam.
Frequently asked questions about the Amsterdam Museum
Is the Amsterdam Museum open?
Where is Amsterdam in Motion?
How long is the Amsterdam in Motion show?
Is the Museumkaart valid at Amsterdam in Motion?
When will the museum on the Kalverstraat reopen?
Plan your visit
Tickets for Amsterdam in Motion by the Amsterdam Museum are available through our ticket partner Tiqets.
Tickets for Amsterdam in Motion