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Image from Joris Raaijman

Art and culture in Amsterdam City Centre

Amsterdam is a haven for culture lovers, with a vast array of art, photography, museums, galleries, cabaret, jazz, comedy, concerts and architectural wonders at your fingertips. This handy guide to cultural hotspots in the historic centre should give you a few pointers on where to start digging, depending on your interests.

The Old Masters

Rembrandthuis Rembrandt House Museum
Image from Kees Hageman

Rembrandt van Rijn - have you heard of him? Rembrandt House Museum is a beautifully restored townhouse that provides a multifaceted insight into the far-reaching legacy of the legendary Dutch painter. The changing exhibition programme showcases the museum’s almost complete collection of original etchings along with pieces by Rembrandt’s predecessors, contemporaries and students. Need more uninterrupted gazing at masterful brush strokes? The Museum Quarter is built for you. Grab yourself a City Card and hop foot it straight to the Rijksmuseum and/or the Stedelijk Museum for a touch of contemporary art.

Hidden gems

Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder our lord in the attic museum, Oudezijds Voorburgwal.
Image from Arjan Bronkhorst

One of the oldest and most unique museums in the city, Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder, a remarkably well-preserved canal house from the 17th century, has a secret in its attic. Follow the narrow corridors and staircases past the historically furnished living areas and kitchens until you reach the highlight: a complete Catholic church hidden in the rafters. This ornate space was built in 1663 when masses were officially prohibited to reveal an inspiring story of Dutch religious tolerance. Like surprises? This rundown of museums with secret gardens has some great suggestions for where to find more hidden gems in Amsterdam Centrum.

Concerts

Jazz musicians playing on a bridge over the canal.
Image from Filip Mishevski

Amsterdam is a hotspot for music lovers, with excellent concerts taking place in beautiful venues across the city. Take Paradiso, one of the city's most beloved venues, with its intimate stage and atmospheric stained glass windows - remnants of its former use as a church until it was converted into a music venue in the 1960s. Situated in one of the most charming parts of the city centre, Noorderkerk is an idyllic setting for a matinee recital, regularly attracting an audience of classical experts and curious newcomers. Every August, various venues throughout the Canal Belt come alive for the magnificent Grachtenfestival. Soak up the atmosphere as contemporary and classical music is performed on various stages; by the water, and even on a floating pontoon.

Comedy

Boom Chicago comedy club
Image from Jeroen Roest

Boom Chicago has been tickling the ribs of audiences for over 25 years with its combination of comedy, sketch and improv - all performed in English. Shows touch on everything from Dutch culture to American politics, and many big names - including Seth Meyers and Oscar-winner Jordan Peele - got their start here. Don’t miss the Boom Chicago Comedy Festival each summer. Alternatively, De Kleine Komedie is one of the city’s oldest and most loved venues. Its long history can even count King Willem I and Napoleon as regulars but is now frequented by more contemporary guests staging entertaining variety shows.

Archaeology

Allard Pierson museum met bezoekers
Image from Victor Wennekes

Located in a former orphanage, Amsterdam Museum tells the origin story of this historic trading city, chronicling how it has maintained its culture of creativity and free-thinking for over millennia. Artworks, household items, books, archaeological artefacts and journals are all brought together in interactive displays. And if you fancy going further back in time, you can follow the tracks of the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans at the newly-renovated Allard Pierson Museum, housed in a grandiose former bank.

Municipal history

Stadsarchief city archives de bazel building
Image from Dorain Kransberg

If you’re someone who loves a good map, the largest treasure trove of municipal history in the world is stored in a monumental Art Deco building at the Amsterdam City Archives. With over 50 kilometres of objects and photographs, visitors can delve into whichever slice of history they are most fascinated by. Alternatively, check out the Grachtenmuseum for another fascinating glimpse into the development of this city built on water.

Photography

Paul Kooiker –FASHION, 2023 exhibition at Foam photography gallery
Image from Christian van der Kooy

Amsterdam is fast becoming a hotspot for photography enthusiasts, with numerous museums, galleries and exhibitions dedicated to all things photography. Every year, World Press Photo showcases the very best of news imagery from around the globe, assembled into a travelling exhibition that takes over De Nieuwe Kerk for several months. There’s always something to catch the eye at FOAM, the internationally renowned photography gallery which showcases cutting-edge talent. Or, drop by the opulent period rooms of Huis Marseille for a varied exhibition program shown across two seventeenth-century canal houses.

Contemporary art

I'm Sorry by Dave, Koen Hauser, Inez & Vinoodh  courtesy in The Ravestijn Gallery. person watching the art
Image from The Ravestijn Gallery

Amsterdam’s contemporary art scene is eternally evolving, fueled by the rich programming of independent galleries and smaller exhibition spaces. The Stedelijk Museum, located on Amsterdam's iconic Museum Square, is an unmissable part of the city's contemporary art offerings. Also of note is De Brakke Grond is a cultural centre championing everything that is Flemish in the Netherlands; art, literature, dance, theatre, music, you name it. The varied schedule, quaint courtyard garden and atmospheric café make this unique space well worth checking out.

Places of Worship

The Portuguese Synagogue, also known as the Esnoga, or Snoge, is a late 17th-century Sephardic synagogue in Amsterdam, completed in 1675.
Image from Marijke Volkers

Churches, synagogues and mosques, oh my! Over the centuries, Amsterdam has been - and remains - a pillar of religious freedom and expression. As part of that identity, there are plenty of beautiful places of worship which open their doors to visitors citywide. Discover Amsterdam's historic Jewish community and visit the Portugese Synagogue in the city centre. On special occasions, the synagogue comes alive with candlelight, lighting hundreds of candles in a display of timeless reverence.

Canal Houses

De Drakensteynkamer in Museum van Loon
Image from Peter Kooijman

Amsterdam owes much of its striking architecture to expansion plans that transformed the city in the 17th century. The canal belt features some of the city's most remarkable canal houses, several of which have been turned into cultural spaces. Take Museum van Loon - a historic canal house and art museum - or the Grachtenmuseum (the Museum of Canals) which is dedicated to telling the story of the canal belt and the tracing Amsterdam's rich history.