Ripley’s Believe It or Not! in Amsterdam

Ripley’s Believe It or Not! in Amsterdam is a quirky attraction which features an eclectic collection of curiosities and oddities. It is located on Dam Square in the heart of the city. Book Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Amsterdam tickets here

Ripley’s Amsterdam branch opened in 2016 and is part of Ripley Entertainment’s network of Believe It or Not! museums with some 26 locations worldwide.

Ripley’s Amsterdam is housed in a 5-storey historic building on Dam Square (built 1913) which features Gothic and Renaissance architectural elements.

The museum name comes from Robert Ripley (1890-1949), the renowned American cartoonist, entrepreneur and amateur anthropologist. He scoured the world for bizarre and unusual content for his syndicated Believe It or Not! cartoon series.

The first Ripley’s museum opened at the Chicago World Fair in 1933 and his legacy continues to this day through museums, books and TV shows.

The Ripley’s entrance lobby in Amsterdam features a mural of local football legend Johan Cruijff and the imposing figure of Robert Wadlow, supposedly the tallest man ever recorded.

This labyrinth of a museum is set over 3 main floors and has around 500 objects on view and plenty of hands-on activities. Some of the collection highlights include:

• a wooden Bugatti Veyron replica (which can be seen through the ground-floor windows)
• a comprehensive collection of Olympic games torches
• a small section of the Berlin Wall and a sliced Trabant car
• shrunken heads and tribal art
• model of a Paduang woman (Myanmar) with stretched, ringed neck
• replica of the British crown jewels
• a large robot sculpture built from car parts

A standard visit can take 1-2 hours and the labelling is clear and in both Dutch and English. Some of the torture-themed exhibits might not be suitable to very young children (these could be skipped over by walking through to the next section).

On the 4th floor there is a spacious cafe (Ripley’s Lounge) with comfy seating and which also has some good views over the eastern side of Dam Square. If you want views of the western side go to the nearby Madame Tussauds or the Peek & Cloppenburg store.

All in all, the museum offers plenty of off-beat variety and amusement to hold most visitor’s interest. With its central location it is worth dropping by – and good for a rainy day.

Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Amsterdam Essential Info

First published in 30 August 2024. Our last visit to Ripley’s was in August 2024 and we paid our own entrance.

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