Amsterdam is one of the top tourist destinations in Europe, and for a good reason. The city is known globally for being a fun place to visit. There are world-renowned restaurants, famous entertainment, and of course, plenty of historical museums.
Amsterdam has had a long and rich history. Over the course of hundreds of years, it has been home to all sorts of different populations. Many of the museums in town pay homage to the richly diverse cultural history of the city. Some museums are nothing but pure wonder!
Let’s give you a sneak peek into the world of Amsterdam’s unusual museums.
1. De Nieuwe Kerk Amsterdam
One of the most famous museums in Amsterdam is the De Nieuwe Kerk Amsterdam, which is a contemporary art museum. While there are contemporary art museums in just about every city you can visit, this one is most certainly unique.
It is rare to find a museum housed in a building that dates back earlier than the New World. However, this museum calls home a church that dates back to 1409. The building still holds architectural elements true to the Middle Ages.
The art museum is also in an ideal location for those visiting the city, right in the center of Amsterdam with an entrance to Dam Square. It is worth finding luggage storage in Amsterdam so you can plan other attractions in the vicinity of Dam Square besides this museum.
The art museum has a rotation of exhibits, some paying homage to the history of Amsterdam and others to the many cultures that make up the city. The museum features a rotation of art, photography, and speakers.
2. The Cheese Museum
The famed cheese museum is a living tribute to popular Dutch cheese. The museum holds a wide assortment of cheeses, which are a cultural staple throughout Holland. You can find just about any type of cheese that has ever been popular in Holland at this exceptionally unique museum.
3. The Anne Frank House
One of the most famous museums in the world is located in the heart of Amsterdam: The Anne Frank House. This museum is unique because of its noteworthiness and what it is made up of.
Anne Frank famously hid inside this home in Amsterdam with her family and several family friends during the Nazi occupation of Holland. In her diary, Anne kept a log of what living conditions were like as they hoped to escape capture by the Nazis.
The museum that stands now is in the room where Anne stayed with her family. Part of what makes this so remarkable is how well hidden and how small the room was.
The Anne Frank museum is the only museum in the world that has such notoriety and such importance as it raises awareness of a part of World history that led to the deaths of so many people.
4. Moco Museum
A highly unusual and exceptionally fun museum to visit in Amsterdam is the Moco Museum. This is colloquially known as the “interactive museum” and for good reason. The museum is immersive.
Here, the exhibits rotate with regularity and each one brings a new element of exploration to the study and appreciation of art. One of the most famed exhibits in recent years was the Banksy exhibition, featuring the highly valued graffiti art of the anonymous icon.
Other artists who have their work featured at the Moco Museum include Warhol, Haring, Basquiat, Haring, and Kaws, just to name a few.
5. Museum of Fluorescent Art
Finally, one of the most unique and yet iconic museums in Amsterdam is the Museum of Fluorescent Art, also known as Electric Ladyland. The reason this museum is so iconic is because of the way neon and fluorescent art has become synonymous with the streets of Amsterdam, especially the red light district.
This museum features a wide range of art that lights up under the fluorescent bulbs. The result is a walk through a series of images that seem to have come to life in an other-worldly way.
The city of Amsterdam has a way of enchanting its visitors time and again. These unusual museums and many other quirky ones make the city a lot more special. We’re sure this list of museums will make for a terrific Amsterdam experience! What do you think?
