The Rijksmuseum is the most important art museum in the Netherlands with thousands of old paintings in its collection including those of renowned Dutch masters Rembrandt, Frans Hals and Vermeer.
With its magnificent neo-Gothic building, the Rijksmuseum has 80 rooms displaying no less than 8,000 works of art and historical objects spanning 800 years. You can see iconic works like Rembrandt’s Night Watch and Vermeer’s Milkmaid.
Attracting over 2.4 million visitors annually, the Rijksmuseum is one of Europe’s great museums and is a must-visit in Amsterdam.
Rijksmuseum Tickets
Pre-booking tickets with entry timeslots is mandatory – there are no at-the-door tickets! Book your Rijksmuseum ticket here
| Adults (19+) | from €25.00 |
| Children 0-18 | FREE |
| Go City Pass | FREE |
| I Amsterdam City Card | FREE |
| Museumkaart | FREE |
| EYCA | €12.50 |
Entry timeslots for a specific date are offered on-the-hour between 0900-15:00 with the last timeslot at 15:30.
All visitors must pre-book their timeslot – including children and holders of free entry passes.
Rijksmuseum Opening Hours
Open daily 09:00-17:00 – every day of the year.
Rijksmuseum Address/Location
The Rijksuseum is located on Museumplein Square in Amsterdam. This is about 2.6km from Amsterdam Central station.
The official street address is: Rijksmuseum, Museumstraat 1, 1071 XX Amsterdam
It is easily reachable by public transport:
| LINE | STOP |
|---|---|
| TRAM 2/5/12 | Museumplein |
| TRAM 1/7/19 | Rijksmusuem-Spiegelgracht |
| METRO 52 | Vijzelgracht |
| BUS 397 | Museumplein |
- From Amsterdam Central take trams 2/12 to Museumplein; or take metro line 52 to Vijzelgracht station which is about 5-7 mins walk away.
- From Amsterdam Zuid take tram 5 to Museumplein.
- From Amsterdam Sloterdijk take tram 19 to Rijksmusuem-Spiegelgracht.
- From Schiphol airport take bus 397 to Museumplein.
If you are driving then there is an underground Q-Park car parking facility on Museumplein. The entrance is next to the Albert Heijn supermarket.
Address: Q-Park Museumplein, Van Baerlestraat 33B, 1071 AP Amsterdam
Rijksmuseum Map
Our map of the Museumplein area shows the location of the Rijksmuseum.
The tram stops are marked as well as the walking direction to the nearest metro station.
Museumplein Square is home to some of Amsterdam’s most prominent museums. It hosts the popular Van Gogh Museum as well as more modern and contemporary art at MOCO Museum and Stedelijk.
Rijksmuseum Building & History
The Rijksmuseum was originally established in 1798 in The Hague before moving to Amsterdam in 1808. Its collection was held at different venues including the Royal Palace on Dam Square
Various design contests were subsequently held for a new museum location. This was eventually won (at the 2nd attempt) by Dutch architect Pierre Cuypers with his neo-Gothic and Renaissance style design.
Construction work started in 1876 requiring over 8,000 wooden piles to be placed in the ground to support the structure.
The Rijksmuseum was opened in July 1885. The building has a resemblance to Amsterdam’s Central Station which was another of Cuypers’ grand designs.
The bike path which runs directly through the building was an essential feature which connected the old city centre to the new residential districts in the south of the city.
In modern times the Rijksmuseum underwent a major €375m renovation between 2003 and 2012. It re-opened in its current form in 2013.
This not only restored the building’s exterior but also brought the interior much closer to the original design – with large galleries giving a cathedral-like venue to showcase the very best Dutch art history.
In the future (2031-33) there are plans to open a branch of the Rijksmuseum in Eindhoven.
Rijksmuseum Collection
The museum is split over 4 levels:
- Level 0 (ground floor) houses special collections and period 1100-1600
- Level 1 features the 18th and 19th century.
- Level 2 has the important 17th century works.
- Level 3 has objects from the 20th century.
The highlight of the museum is undoubtedly Rembrandt’s The Night Watch (Nachtwacht), the iconic large portrait of the civic guard. The painting is undergoing a long-term restoration project in view of the public called Operation Night Watch.
Currently it’s not possible to get close to the work as half of the Rembrandt gallery is sealed off by glass and machinery surrounds the painting.
It is located on level 2 at the end of the Gallery of Honour (Eregalerij) – a stunning long gallery with side alcoves filled with paintings of Rembrandt, Johannes Vermeer, Frans Hals and Jan Steen.
Highlights in the Gallery of Honour include the Milk Maid (Vermeer), Little Street (Vermeer) and The Threatened Swan (Jan Asselijn).
The Gallery of Honour can be entered from the imposing Great Hall (Voorhal) which has large stained glass windows, mosaic floors and intricate vaulted ceilings.
Here Cuypers has depicted ideals of art, work and faith on the walls and windows.
Apart from the Dutch masters, the museum also includes Italian renaissance paintings, Dutch Delftware china, ship models, weapons, furniture, silverware and 4 van Gogh paintings including a self-portrait.
The Rijksmuseum pieces are superbly presented in minimalist style with blue-grey walls and special chandelier lighting from above. Explanations are presented in Dutch and English.
The Asian Pavilion is a modern extension near the Philips Wing and houses a collection of Asian art.
Rijksmuseum Temporary Exhibitions
On top of the permanent collection, the Philips Wing of the museum hosts a number of temporary exhibitions each year. These tend to last for about 3 months.
In 2023 the Rijksmuseum held a record-breaking major exhibition on Vermeer which attracted 650,000 visitors.
Rijksmuseum Facilities & Accessibility
The museum has a large glass-roofed atrium created from former internal courtyards which houses the foyer area, The Café and the Rijksmuseum shop. Free WiFi is available throughout.
There are a couple of espresso bars within the museum – one at the bottom of the stairs to the Great Hall and the other on the ground floor at the Philips Wing.
The foyer has a cloakroom desk where you can leave coats, umbrellas and bags free of charge. There are also free lockers near the toilets.
The 19th century Cuypers Library is the largest art historical library in the Netherlands. It spans 4-storeys and visitors can get access to the viewing gallery on level 1 (gallery 1.13).
The Philips Wing also includes the RIJKS restaurant, a Michelin-star establishment run by head chef Joris Bijdendijk with a focus on slow food and locally sourced organic ingredients.
The Rijksmuseum is fully accessible and has special programmes in place for visitors with disabilities. For full details go here
Rijksmuseum Gardens
The Rijksmuseum gardens contains fountains, seating and has a sculpture exhibition in the summer months – entry is free for the public. During this time The Garden House cafe sells drinks and snacks.
Carel Visser, sculpture exhibition from the late Dutch artist who specialised in abstact geometric works. Runs 5 Jun to 25 Oct 2026.
Rijksmuseum Tips for Visitors
- If you want to visit a temporary exhibition at the Rijksmuseum it is best to book your entry in advance as timeslots can sell out.
- For quieter hours try visiting 09:00-11:00 or 15:30-17:00. The quietest days of the week are Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
- Pick up the ‘Floor Plan & Highlights’ leaflet at the reception desk. The English version is blue, the Dutch one is orange. It includes a map of each floor with some of the main highlights on show. It is illustrated by Dutch artist Jan Rothuizen – whose museum map also hangs at strategic points around the building.
- You can get free audio tours by downloading the Rijsmuseum app. There are a number of tours are available – from ‘The Best of the Rijksmuseum’, Highlights of each section, the Building, Rembrandt and more. You can even create your own route.
- Rijksmuseum audio tours are available in Dutch, Dutch Sign Language, English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Russian and Mandarin Chinese.
- If you don’t want to use the app you can also hire a separate audio handset at the ‘Multimediatours’ desk which have the same tours.
- If you prefer a more personal touch with expert insight then you can always book one of the private or semi-private tours available such as:
- If visiting with children ask about the Family Game where you have to unravel 8 secrets about the museum within 60 minutes. You need to rent a handset from the Multimediatours desk (€2.50 per person, minimum of 2 people). The game is aimed at kids aged 7-12 and is available in Dutch, English, German and French.
- Youths aged 13-18 can take a celebrity tour with Snapguide on a smartphone with various challenges.
- A visit to the museum can take 60-90 minutes. However, once inside the museum you are free to stay as long you like (until closing time!)
- You can take photos but flash photography is not allowed.
- The Rijksmuseum has a small satellite gallery at Amsterdam Schiphol airport. This is located on Holland Boulevard (between Lounges 2 and 3 in non-Schengen departures) and is open 24 hours a day to passengers.
The Rijksmuseum is one of the great museums that showcases some of the pinnacles of European art, history and culture. It remains a must-visit on any itinerary to Amsterdam. Book your Rijksmuseum ticket here
References Many personal visits to the Rijksmuseum Rijksmuseum (Wikipedia) Cuyper's Museum Building (Rijksmuseum official site)
Last updated 16 December 2025. This article was first published in 2010 and has been regularly updated.
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