Museum of Canals Amsterdam: All You Need to Know in 2024 🎟️
The 17th-century museum provides an interactive audiovisual tour through five exhibition rooms, each highlighting a different aspect of the canal’s development. It tells you all about the history of Amsterdam’s canals.
One room is everyone’s favorite— and it’s certainly mine.
Please keep reading to find out which one it is. I wonder if it will be yours, too.
Stunning Historical Canal House
- Explore the rich history of Amsterdam Canal Houses
- Enjoy a dynamic multimedia presentation
- Set in a 1667 historic building
- Spanning 400 years of history
Let’s talk first about the building of the Grachtenmuseum Amsterdam (as it’s called in Dutch) itself. The Museum is located on one of the most expensive canals in Amsterdam, the canal museum on Herengracht is beautiful by itself. It’s a double-fronted grand merchant house, only available to the richest people in its day.
The house was completed in 1667! There are more than 400 years of history in this building.
Once you know how they built it, it’s even more incredible to know we can still enjoy this amazing heritage today.
For this reason, the Amsterdam Canal Belt has been added to the Unesco World Heritage List.
PS: a great way to explore Amsterdam’s canals is with a Canal Cruise, here is my post about which cruise is best.
What To Expect Once Inside
Once you’re inside the Museum of Canals Amsterdam (Grachtenmuseum) you’ll collect your free audioguide from a host.
I might hear you think. I am not a fan of audio guides. These can be boring. I agree, but not here. They’ve set it up differently, and it brings everything together. You can’t do the tour without the audio guide.
It’s not just stand-alone commentary. It behaves as your personal, private guide.
There are five rooms to explore. The multimedia presentation explains why the canals of Amsterdam were created, how they were planned and built, and for whom.
It also explains why it was such a complicated undertaking and why it’s a miracle they exist today.
The final room is the best; you will find a sizeable dollhouse canal house where you can peek inside. There is so much detail and so much to explore. This is the #1 room for most people, and like I said, definitely for me, too.
Frequently Asked Questions Museum of Canals Amsterdam (Grachtenmuseum)
Which Languages Are Available at the Museum of Canals Amsterdam (Grachtenmuseum)?
Audio guides are available in nine different languages: English, Dutch, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Mandarin Chinese, Japanese, and Russian. Your admission ticket includes an audio guide.
How long does a visit to the Museum of the Canals Amsterdam last?
You spend about 5 minutes in each room. Besides the five rooms, there are also period rooms downstairs to get a feel for how it was to live here. And a few in the garden. In total, you spend about 45 minutes at the Grachtenmuseum. If you plan for 1 hour, you’re safe.
Is the museum accessible?
Yes, the museum has elevators, and all rooms are wheelchair-accessible. However, because the tour relies heavily on multimedia presentations. I do not recommend a visit for visitors with visual or hearing impairments. The museum has a wheelchair to borrow from, and you can reserve it in advance by calling +31204211656 or emailing mail@grachten.museum.
Is it possible to visit the garden?
You can always see the garden from within the house. Sometimes it’s open, but it depends on the weather. Expect it to be closed, and treat it as a nice bonus when it’s open!
