10 Best Amsterdam Museums for Kids
Museums and kids don’t always go together, especially if yours aren’t the type to happily walk through galleries for hours.
I still like to include at least one museum when we visit a new city, but the key is finding ones that have something for kids too. When I was planning our trip to Amsterdam, museums weren’t at the top of my list. I was thinking more about canals and bikes.
But it turned out there are some really great museums here for families, and a few ended up being highlights for my boys. They still loved the canals, but three of the museums made it onto their list of favourite things from the trip.
Here are the best museums in Amsterdam for kids, based on what we actually enjoyed.
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Top 7 Museums in Amsterdam for Kids
If you’re short on time or want the most kid-friendly picks, these seven museums are a great place to start. They’re hands-on, engaging, and offered the best mix of fun and learning during our visit.
NEMO Science Museum
If there’s one museum in Amsterdam that’s guaranteed to be a hit with kids, it’s NEMO. Housed in a distinctive green, ship-shaped building right on the harbour, NEMO is five floors of hands-on science fun.
NEMO works really well for a wide range of ages. Younger kids will love the interactive exhibits that don’t need much explanation, while older kids can dive deeper into activities that make them stop and think. My boys spent ages at the pulley system, testing out how to lift their own body weight. It took a few tries to figure out why one setup was easier than the others, but once they did, they kept going back to try again, and of course, always choosing the hardest one!
Other favourites included a wind machine that kept a beach ball floating in mid-air, chain reactions and marble-run style activities, and an entire section focused on the human body. Each floor has a different theme, which keeps things fresh and exciting as you move through the building.
We ended up spending nearly four hours here, which was far longer than I expected, and even then the boys still weren’t ready to leave. If you only have time for one museum in Amsterdam with kids, make it NEMO.
Tips for Visiting NEMO with Kids
- Location: Just a 10-minute walk from Amsterdam Central Station.
- Tickets: We bought ours at the door, but it can get busy — booking ahead online is a good idea.
- Time Needed: Most guides suggest 2–2.5 hours, but we easily spent 4. Give yourself some flexibility.
- Extra: The rooftop café has great city views and space for kids to run off some energy.
Anne Frank House
The Anne Frank House might not be the first place that comes to mind when planning a family-friendly itinerary, but it turned out to be one of my boys’ favourite museums in Amsterdam. They had read a bit about Anne Frank before we visited, so they were already curious about seeing the Secret Annexe in person.
The kids’ audio guide was excellent — it gave just enough background to help them understand the story without being overwhelming or too graphic. The boys stayed engaged the whole way through, and because the kids’ and adults’ audio tours are similar in length, we were able to move through the house together without anyone rushing or waiting.
Online guides suggest an hour for the visit (without a guided tour), but we spent about 1.5 hours inside. It was the right amount of time to absorb the experience without feeling rushed. No photos are allowed inside, but it’s an incredibly moving and worthwhile visit. For families with school-age kids and older, I’d highly recommend adding the Anne Frank House to your list.
Tips for Visiting Anne Frank House with Kids
- Tickets: Buy only through the official Anne Frank House website. Tickets usually go on sale 6 weeks in advance, and if you miss out, check on Tuesdays at 10am when extras are sometimes released – that’s how I got ours the week before.
- Time Needed: Plan for about 1–1.5 hours.
- Photography: Not permitted inside.
TKE tip: There’s a great pancake house right across the street, and it’s perfect to enjoy a treat after your visit.
Van Gogh Museum
Even though we didn’t manage to get tickets in time, the Van Gogh Museum is one I’d highly recommend for families. Van Gogh’s artwork is bold, colourful, and instantly recognizable, which makes it much more approachable for kids compared to other traditional art museums.
Pieces like Sunflowers and The Bedroom are particularly fun for kids, and the museum even offers a scavenger hunt designed for school-age kids (6–12). Friends of ours visited earlier in the summer and said their kids loved it.
It’s also one of the most popular museums in Amsterdam, so if it’s on your list, be sure to book tickets well ahead of time. From everything I’ve heard (and seen from friends who visited with kids), this is one of the top art museums to visit with children, especially if you want them to experience famous works without it feeling too dry or overwhelming. It’s at the top of our list for next time!
Tips for Visiting Van Gogh Museum with Kids
- Tickets: Must be booked online in advance — they sell out quickly.
- Time Needed: Allow 1–2 hours, depending on your kids’ interest in art.
- Kid-Friendly Touches: Bright, colourful paintings and occasional family-focused activities make it more engaging for children.
Rijksmuseum
The Rijksmuseum is Amsterdam’s most famous art museum, home to masterpieces by Rembrandt, Vermeer, and other Dutch artists. While big art museums can sometimes feel overwhelming for kids, the Rijksmuseum does a good job of making the experience more engaging.
Instead of a traditional scavenger hunt, they offer a set of kids’ activity cards with prompts that get them thinking and talking about what they see. Some cards are tied to the artwork, while others are more open-ended, like deciding which painting is the most expensive. My boys loved choosing a new card in each gallery, which gave them a bit of independence and made it more fun to explore.
One unexpected highlight was the museum’s historic library. You can’t walk through it, but you can look down from above, and the spiral staircases and rows of books made it interesting to stop and take in.
While the cards were a good way to keep them involved, overall the museum still felt less interactive compared to others, and it can be tiring if you try to see too much. My advice? Pick a few highlights and use the cards as a way to bring the art to life for your kids.
Tips for Visiting the Rijksmuseum with Kids
- Location: Museumplein, right next to the Van Gogh Museum and Moco.
- Tickets: Buy online or at the door, though lines can be long at peak times. You can also get combo tickets — we bought one that included the Rijksmuseum and a canal tour, which worked out to be a good deal for the whole family.
- Time Needed: 1.5–2 hours is enough with kids.
- Kid-Friendly Touches: Kids’ activity cards with fun prompts — let your child choose one in each gallery to keep them engaged.
National Maritime Museum (Scheepvaartmuseum)
The National Maritime Museum is another fantastic option for families in Amsterdam, especially if your kids love ships, the sea, or a good adventure. The highlight for most kids (and parents!) is the full-size replica of an 18th-century Dutch East India Company ship docked right outside. You can climb aboard, wander through the captain’s quarters, and even explore below deck. It’s the kind of hands-on experience that feels more like play than a museum visit.
Inside, there are interactive exhibits about maritime history, navigation, and life at sea. Some displays might go over younger kids’ heads, but there’s plenty that’s tactile and engaging to keep them busy. My boys especially loved the open spaces to explore and the chance to “play pirate” while learning a bit of history along the way.
Tips for Visiting the National Maritime Museum with Kids
- Location: Just east of Central Amsterdam, about a 15-minute walk from Central Station.
- Tickets: Can be purchased online or at the door.
- Time Needed: Around 1-2 hours is plenty for families.
- Kid-Friendly Touches: Don’t miss the replica ship outside — it’s a highlight for all ages.
TKE Tip: It’s conveniently close to NEMO, and can be paired with the science museum for a full day of hands-on fun
Moco Museum
The Moco Museum is a smaller modern and contemporary art museum that’s often recommended for families. Compared to the larger museums in Amsterdam, it’s quicker to get through and you can see the whole collection in about an hour, which is just right for kids’ attention spans.
The collection includes bold, colourful, and often quirky works from artists like Banksy and Yayoi Kusama. It’s the kind of art that’s easier for kids to connect with, even without a lot of explanation, and kids can enjoy it for what it is, while adults will appreciate the deeper meanings behind it.
If you’re looking for something lighter or want a break from more traditional museums, this is a good one to add to your list.
Tips for Visiting the Moco Museum with Kids
- Location: On Museumplein, right near the Van Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum.
- Tickets: Book online to save time, though tickets are also available at the door.
- Time Needed: Around 1 hour is usually enough.
- Kid-Friendly Touches: Bright, colourful, and quirky exhibits that kids can enjoy without needing much explanation.
Our Lord in the Attic (Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder)
This museum turned out to be an unexpected favourite. Our Lord in the Attic is a hidden church tucked inside a 17th-century canal house — built right into the top three floors of the home. Walking through the narrow rooms and staircases, you’d never expect to suddenly step into a full church.
The boys loved the kids’ audio guide, which explained the history in a way that made sense to them, and there was also a scavenger hunt with doors and compartments to open along the way.
There were also ladybugs hidden throughout the museum — on walls, cupboards, and in little nooks — which kept them searching even in areas without hands-on activities. At the end, if they could tell the person at the front desk how many ladybugs they spotted (and it didn’t have to be accurate, the point was just to keep them looking), they got a little ladybug of their own to keep as a souvenir. It was an easy but clever way to keep them engaged from start to finish.
That said, the museum is inside a historic canal house with steep, narrow staircases and small rooms, so it’s not stroller-friendly and can be tricky for very young kids. But for school-age kids and older, it’s a perfect stop.
Tips for Visiting Our Lord in the Attic with Kids
- Location: In Amsterdam’s Red Light District, but easy to reach on foot from Central Station.
- Tickets: Buy online or at the door.
- Time Needed: Around 1–1.5 hours.
- Kid-Friendly Touches: Kids’ audio guide and scavenger hunt with a small prize at the end.
More Kid-Friendly Museums to Check Out
On top of our top 7 recommendations, Amsterdam has even more museums that are worth considering depending on your kids’ ages and interests. These three didn’t quite make our main list, but they’re still fun options to add if you have the time.
Tropenmuseum Junior
Part of the larger Tropenmuseum, this section is designed specifically for kids and focuses on world cultures through immersive, hands-on exhibits. The only catch is that the experience depends on the current exhibition, so it’s worth checking what’s on before you go.
Houseboat Museum (Woonbootmuseum)
A small but really interesting museum where kids can explore the inside of a real canal houseboat. It’s compact and doesn’t take long, but kids will love the novelty of stepping into a floating home. Go at a quieter time if you can, since the space is small.
Amsterdam Dungeon
A theatrical, slightly spooky experience that’s best for older kids and teens. It combines history with actors and special effects in a way that’s more fun-scary than educational. It’s not for everyone (younger kids may find it too intense) but if your family likes a bit of drama and scares, it can be a fun option.
Our Take On the Best Family-Friendly Museums in Amsterdam
We went to Amsterdam expecting bikes and canals to be the highlights, but the museums ended up being some of the most memorable parts of the trip.
From hands-on exhibits at NEMO to exploring a hidden church inside a canal house, there’s a really good mix of experiences that work for different ages and interests.
If you’re visiting with kids, it’s worth choosing one or two of the main museums to prioritise, then adding in something a bit different depending on what your kids are into. There’s plenty here to keep things interesting without feeling like you’re forcing your way through a full day of galleries.
Looking to explore more of Amsterdam?
If you’re still planning your trip, take a look at our guide for visiting Amsterdam with kids for some fun things to do in the city, as well as how to spend 3 days in Amsterdam without overloading your schedule. Or if you’re staying longer, we’ve shared some of the best day trips from Amsterdam for families.
We also cover practical details like getting around Amsterdam with kids, plus advice on where to stay and a guide to the best family hotels in Amsterdam to help you plan your trip.
