Amsterdam Museum – Housed in a maze of 17th-century buildings on the site of an old convent, this museum will reveal everything you should know about the city’s rich history.
This is the place where the story of Amsterdam’s past, present and future is told.
The one-hour permanent exhibition Amsterdam DNA illustrates the history of Amsterdam in an entertaining way. In addition, the museum holds regular temporary exhibitions, tours and events and maintains the Amsterdam City Collection, much of which can be viewed online.
The Amsterdam Museum was officially born as early as 1926 as an annex of the Stedelijk Museum and was located in the De Waag building. In 1975 the Museum, then known as Amsterdams Historisch Museum (Amsterdam Historical Museum), moved to its current building, which formerly housed the city Orphanage. In 2011 it changed its name to become Amsterdam Museum. The name change reflects the museum mission, which is not only about the past but also about the present and the future.
The Museum is located in a very distinctive building between Kalverstraat and Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal streets. In the Middle Ages this was the site of the Convent of St. Lucy, a women’s convent with its own brewery and cattle. The nuns’ farm was located at about the place where the Museum café is now located. In 1578 the building became the city Orphanage. From this era are the Regents’ Room and the little orphans’ lockers in the inner courtyard. Want to learn more about life in the orphanage? Visit for free the "Where Orphans Played," an exhibit set up in the courtyard for boys, or the Little Orphanage, the exhibit dedicated to younger visitors.
