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Image from Olivier Middendorp

Free museums in Amsterdam

With its endless canals and adorably wonky architecture, strolling around Amsterdam is like exploring a beautiful open-air art museum. And anyone looking for a budget-friendly cultural day of sightseeing has plenty of options too. Various museums and art spaces don’t charge visitors a cent to enter, and there are fantastic free outdoor exhibitions, hidden sculpture gardens and incredible public artworks to be discovered all over the city that make for a day out that's easy on the wallet.

Amsterdam City Archives

Stadsarchief city archives de bazel building
Image from Dorain Kransberg

All stored within the monumental De Bazel building - an Art Deco gem that is well worth a visit - the Amsterdam City Archives is the most enormous treasure trove of municipal history in the world. Take a guided tour of the period rooms or visit the fascinating (and free) exhibitions downstairs in the underground vault of a former bank.

Rijksmuseum Gardens

Image from Jannes Linders

Many people don’t realise that you can get your arty fill at the Rijks without paying a penny. The freely accessible gardens were designed by Pierre Cuypers in 1901 and are studded with sculptures, installations, water features and colourful flowerbeds. Each summer, there is also a temporary exhibition of significant public works by some of the world’s most famous 20th-century sculptors. Check out this round-up of museums with secret gardens for more floral retreats.

Open Space Contemporary Art Museum (OSCAM)

A couple visits OSCAM - Open Space Contemporary Art Museum.
Image from Jan de Ridder

OSCAM in Zuidoost is where art, fashion, design, and craftsmanship collide. The museum was opened to highlight the district's cultural diversity on the occasion of Bijlmer's 50th anniversary. Check the programming for inspiring exhibitions and programs with young, well-known, and unknown artists and art institutions—all free to explore.

Ons’ Lieve Heer Op Solder - Sunday Mass

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

Built during the 1660s, the hidden Catholic church in the attic of this remarkably well-preserved canal house reveals an inspiring story of Dutch religious tolerance. What’s more, the Museum Ons’ Lieve Heer Op Solder (Our Lord in the Attic) hosts a mass on the first Sunday of the month, allowing attendees to experience this exceptional space for free.

GASSAN Diamond Factory

People working in diamond laboratory
Image from Gassan Diamonds

Amsterdam has a long history in the diamond trade, and the GASSAN Diamond Factory is the perfect spot to dive into the history of this sparkling industry. Learn all about carats, clarity, cuts and the history of diamond craftsmanship on their free tour. You can even sit behind the grinder and learn first-hand how these rough stones are polished into dazzling gems.

Quirky museums

Alongside the big-name institutions, Amsterdam also boasts its fair share of quirky museums, many of which are entirely free to pop into. The Mouse Mansion is one of the more unusual venues, dedicated to the squeaky characters from a children’s book series. Even during your metro transfer at Rokin Station, you can take a free peek at dozens of archaeological finds as part of the Below the Surface exhibit. This fascinating collection of oddities was excavated during the construction of the North/South line. Or, with a surface area of just 6 m2, Museum Perron Oost is so tiny that you can see the whole exhibition through the windows.

Independent art galleries and project spaces

Framer Framed gallery exhibition On the Nature of Botanical Gardens 2020 Eva Broekema
Image from Framer Framed / Eva Broekema

Amsterdam’s contemporary art scene is thriving thanks to the array of independent galleries and exhibition spaces dotted across the city - several of which have outstanding public programmes which are completely free to attend. Curators and artists collide at FramerFramed, a long-standing project space and arts foundation in Oost. Or, for contemporary work that challenges the medium of photography, head over to The Ravestijn Gallery’s luminous exhibition hall in the Western Docklands. Likewise, Melkweg Expo has a revolving exhibition programme that is consistently playful, accessible and always free, whilst Mediamatic’s interactive installations blur the boundaries between art, science and biotech.

Outdoor art

Street art tour at Heesterveld Creative Community during 24H Zuidoost 2022.
Image from Koen Smilde

During a stroll through any one of the city’s character-filled neighbourhoods, public sculptures, murals, installations and a range of quirky curiosities transform Amsterdam into one giant free open-air museum. NDSM is the perfect place to begin, with a range of commissioned public art pieces and daring street art emblazoned on the former shipyard buildings. Check out this full map of artwork on view around the wharf and this roundup of outdoor art for more.

Amsterdam Sculpture Biennale ARTZUID

artzuid
Image from artzuid

ARTZUID brings the avenues of Amsterdam-Zuid to life every two years with surprising works of art. Follow the sculpture route through the neighbourhood's leafy avenues as you encounter stunning modern and contemporary artworks juxtaposed with characterful spatial installations. Don’t miss the guided tours and children’s programme.

Amsterdam Light Festival

Amsterdam Light Festival LIGHT A WISH artwork
Image from Koen Smilde

Each winter, from December until the end of January, Amsterdam Light Festival transforms the city into a real-life fairy tale, sparkling with glowing artworks illuminating historic bridges and waterfronts. Installations by big-name international artists adorn the canal ring, the River Amstel and several other locations around the city, taking the city’s already stunning night-time sights to an entirely new level.

Outdoor photography

Mercatorplein outdoor photography gallery exhibition
Image from Jan de Ridder

Amsterdam’s public parks and urban spaces are transformed throughout the year into stunning outdoor galleries. Foam regularly takes over the public square at Mercatorplein for open-air photo exhibitions that are freely accessible to all, whilst scannable QR codes provide viewers with more information about the photographers. Likewise, you’ll often find fascinating portrait series showcased in Vondelpark, particularly during major cultural events such as Pride.

Keep an eye on our Weekend Guide for updates about what’s on citywide