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Hidden gems to visit with your I amsterdam City Card

Make sure to visit some of Amsterdam’s offbeat museums, where you can learn about secret churches, Egyptian artefacts, the inner workings of windmills, and more. Many are located in historic buildings, offering you a chance to step behind the stunning facades along the canal belt.

Amsterdam is home to outstanding museums filled with beautiful works that will take your breath away, like The Potato Eaters by Vincent van Gogh and The Milkmaid by Johannes Vermeer. But many lesser-known museums are worth your time, too. Often less crowded than their world-famous counterparts, they showcase unique curiosities and special collections you’re unlikely to find anywhere else. And best of all, admission is free or discounted with your City Card!

Allard Pierson

Allard Pierson museum met bezoekers
Image from Victor Wennekes

The Allard Pierson museum will take you all the way from the Amstel river to the Nile and beyond as you explore the exhibition spanning 10,000 years of cultural history. The heritage collections of the University of Amsterdam will be of particular interest to lovers of ancient Egypt, Rome and Greece.

Free with the City Card

Molen van Sloten

24H Nieuw-West - Molen van Sloten, Brouwerij De 7 Deugden
Image from Amie Galbraith

One of Amsterdam's only remaining working windmills, the Sloten Windmill, is the only functioning polder mill open for visitors and offers guided tours. Right next to the windmill, you will find the local brewery De 7 Deugden.

Free with the City Card

Our Lord in the Attic

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

Museum Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder (Our Lord in the Attic) hails back to a period of religious persecution during which the Catholic worshippers were forced to hide their churches inside private homes or, in this case, the attic. Learn about the fascinating history as you explore a 17th-century canal house from the kitchens and living quarters all the way up to this unique place of worship.

Free with the City Card

Amsterdam Fortress Island Pampus

Grab the ferry from the Centraal Station and head to the historic UNESCO World Heritage island fortress of Pampus. Aside from the beautiful views and the boat ride over, this beautiful fort has an exceptional experience in store: a virtual balloon flight over the Defence Line of Amsterdam.

Free with the City Card

Boom Chicago

Boom Chicago comedy club
Image from Jeroen Roest

Get your daily dose of humour at one of Boom Chicago’s English language shows! This comedy theatre has an amazing lineup of performances, including improvisation nights. City Card holders get special treatment and discounts for the best seats in the house.

25% discount with the City Card

Klimbos Fun Forest

Image from Marie-Charlotte Pezé

If your idea of fun is showing off your physical prowess and conquering heights, come to the Fun Forest, a high rope adventure park fit for all ages. It has ten different courses with an altitude of up to 15 meters, perfect for every level.

Free with the City Card

De Drie Fleschjes

Drie Fleschjes interior
Image from Drie Fleschjes

Did you know that City Card holders can quench their thirst with a free shot of jenever at De Drie Fleschjes? Give your tastebuds a workout as you sample jenever at the oldest tasting room in Amsterdam. This liquor dates back to 1650 and was the precursor to modern gin.

Free shot of jenever with the City Card

Multatuli Museum

The Multatuli Museum is a small but fascinating museum dedicated to the work and life of Eduard Douwes Dekker, a Dutch writer who wrote Max Havelaar, or the coffee auctions of the Dutch trading company in 1860 under the ‘Multatuli’ pseudonym. The work is an indictment of the Dutch colonial regime in Indonesia. The book has caused a response so wide that it led to changes in Dutch policies in Indonesia. The museum is located in the writer’s house and sheds light on this side of Dutch history.

Free with the City Card

Rembrandt Experience

Image from Erik Karst

Immerse yourself in a 5D version of 17th-century Amsterdam as you learn about Rembrandt’s life and work. You will get to know his family, his studio and the impact that he’s had on the city.

25% discount with the City CardLooking for more ideas? Read our article on Amsterdam’s most unusual museums to visit.