The capital of the Netherlands offers entertainment and a good dose of culture: the Museumplein, or Museum Square, is overlooked by three different museums, making it a must-see art hub. The Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, which houses works of design as well as modern and contemporary art, is one of them, together with the Van Gogh Museum and the Rijksmuseum; those interested not only in art, but also in history, can instead move on to the Amstel river, where the Amsterdam Museum is located. And finally, why not end a day spent in museums with a cruise on the city’s very own canals?

Tickets for a visit to the Stedelijk Museum

A ticket to visit the Stedelijk Museum gives access to one of the most important collections of design, modern and contemporary art, as well as regularly changing temporary exhibitions.

The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is accessible for wheelchairs. With the ticket for a visit to the Stedelijk Museum, visitors will also get an audio guide included in the price: however, you must remember to bring your own earphones, which are not provided. Finally, the ticket can be shown from your smartphone and, in the event of a change of programme, up to 24 hours in advance it can be cancelled or moved.

WHAT TO SEE AT THE STEDELIJK MUSEUM: HIGHLIGHTS

With the 90,000 artefacts it houses, the Stedelijk Museum has one of the largest permanent collections in the world: what to see at the Stedelijk Museum without getting lost?

The museum’s permanent collection is organised thematically, i.e. not strictly chronologically, according to three nuclei:

• “Tomorrow is a different day” focuses on the development of art and design from the 1980s to the present day, with works by Steve McQueen, Marlene Dumas and Danielle Dean.
• “Everyday, someday and other stories” focuses on the development of art and design between the 1950s and 1980s, with works by Andy Warhol, Cindy Sherman, Ron Flu.
• “Yesterday, today”: this is the thematic core around which works from the late 19th and early 20th century are organised. It consists of more than 300 works, whose authors include internationally renowned artists such as Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, Max Ernst.

In 2012, a new wing of the museum was opened, in which temporary exhibitions are held. Here, until 16 July 2023, visitors will find the exhibition ‘General Idea’, which brings together sculptures, installations, paintings and archive materials from the Canadian underground group of the same name, active mainly in the 1970s and 1980s; the works and materials on display testify to their desecrating approach to the media and the art world itself.

Visit the Stedelijk Museum and the Amsterdam Museum

The combined ticket for the Stedelijk Museum and the Amsterdam Museum gives access to two of the city’s most important museums. While the former, as we have seen, houses a huge collection of modern, contemporary and design art, the latter is entirely dedicated to its host city.

The combination of the two tickets offers an advantageous price compared to single admission and an audio guide is included in both museums. At the Amsterdam Museum the audio guide is for the temporary interactive exhibitions and this, like the Stedelijk, is also accessible for wheelchairs, with the exception of electric wheelchairs; it is however possible to borrow folding wheelchairs at the entrance. The Amsterdam Museum is open daily from 10am to 5pm and tickets can be cancelled or rescheduled up to 24 hours before the visit.

This museum is located in a 16th century classicist building that was an orphanage before being a museum. Open since 1926, it not only exhibits ancient artefacts that bear witness to life in the Dutch city over the centuries, but also aims to play an active and interconnected role with other initiatives and activities, addressing not only tourists but also citizens.

Combined ticket between Stedelijk Museum and Rijksmuseum

The Museumplein is home to some of Amsterdam’s most important and iconic museums, and to get the most out of your visit at an affordable price, you can purchase a combined ticket for the Stedelijk Museum and Van Gogh Museum, which are both located on the square.
Visiting them provides a broad overview of art history.

A ticket to the Van Gogh Museum allows one to admire the largest collection of works by the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh and to understand the importance of his masterpieces and the parable of his life.

The Rijksmuseum, the construction of which was completed in 1885, also overlooks the same square. It was from this building that the square housing the other museums was designed, later renovated and modified in the late 1890s.
At the Rijksmuseum the visitor will find the artists and major works of the Dutch Golden Age, such as Rembrandt’s The Night Watch or Vermeer’s The Milkmaid, but not only: its rooms also include a collection of clothes and weapons and a library.

After the museum visit, a cruise through the canals of Amsterdam

A visit to Amsterdam cannot stop at its museums alone, and one way to fully grasp the architectural and topographical uniqueness of this city is a cruise through its canals.

The combined ticket for the Stedelijk Museum and a cruise through the canals of Amsterdam combines modern and contemporary art, design and the history of the city, the founding moments of which can be experienced during the boat tour.

For the Stedelijk Museum the ticket allows entry during opening hours (daily from 10am to 6pm) skipping the queue and includes an audio guide. The one-hour canal cruise can be booked daily from 9am to 10pm in summer and from 9.30am to 9.30pm in winter; an audio guide is also provided. The times for the two attractions must, however, be booked separately.

Boat tours pass by the Old Harbour, the Anne Frank House, the Magere Brug (an old drawbridge) and the canal belt, in Dutch Grachtengordel, one of the city’s most typical features and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2010.