The National Maritime Museum

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The National Nautical Museum, one of Amsterdam's most culturally significant attractions, provides a glimpse into the country's long maritime history. This renowned history, which spans more than 500 years, is exquisitely brought to life by the museum.


The museum hosts several exhibitions designed specifically for young children, including See You in the Golden Age, The Tale of the Whale, and many others. The museum is home to a model of the famous Dutch East India Company Ship, and guests have the wonderful opportunity to explore it! It just takes a few minutes in this one-of-a-kind museum to understand why the Dutch maritime historical background enjoys the fame that it does.


  • West Wing: 

The Tale of the Whale, level 1, which examines the massive marine animal that was hunted to almost extinction, is located in this section. Level 2 of Amsterdam Port & City examines the historical, present, and future interactions between the port and the city.


  • East Wing: 

One of the world's finest collections of globes and maps may be found in this section's Maps & Marvels, level 1. A collection of 74 models of rowing, sailing, and motor boats may be found at the Netherlands' Yacht Models, level 1.


The Ship Decorations, level 2 highlights the imagery and artistry of carved ship heads, drawing inspiration from scriptural and mythological themes. Navigational Instruments, level 2 is a nicely crafted exhibition that demonstrates how sailors used the stars to navigate.


  • North Wing: 

The Republic at Sea exhibition, which tells the history of how the Netherlands developed into a prominent naval force, is housed in the main gallery on the ground level and features about 50 masterpieces. Transient exhibitions are held on the first floor.


Visit The Royal Barge, a lavishly ornamented royal vessel ordered by King William I in the early 19th century, by going outside. Additionally, you can board and tour the 16-cannon replica of the VOC ship East Indiaman Amsterdam. Dare to Discover is the name of a virtual reality exhibition that is on board.


The steamship Christiaan Brunings, built-in 1900 as an executive vessel and icebreaker, is also docked. Overall, the museum's exhibits are presented in an avant-garde and creative manner, making superb use of multimedia and multilingual labeling in both Dutch and English.


There is a free audio tour that can show you the highlights of the collection in 60 minutes, and it is accessible in 11 languages: Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Russian, Korean, French, German, Italian, Dutch, English, and Spanish.

  • imageDuration Required
    2 hours

Address of The National Maritime Museum

Kattenburgerplein 1, 1018 KK Amsterdam The Netherlands

Opening & Closing time of The National Maritime Museum

  • Monday
    Closed
  • Tuesday
    10:00-17:00
  • Wednesday
    10:00-17:00
  • Thursday
    10:00-17:00
  • Friday
    10:00-17:00
  • Saturday
    10:00-17:00
  • Sunday
    10:00-17:00

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