Allard Pierson: the University of Amsterdam's archaeology museum

Updated on October 2, 2026

The Allard Pierson is the museum of archaeology and heritage collections of the University of Amsterdam (UvA). Set on the Rokin, in the former headquarters of the Nederlandsche Bank, it displays Egyptian mummies and sarcophagi, Greek vases, Roman and Etruscan sculpture, plus temporary exhibitions drawn from the university's holdings: rare books, maps and a theatre collection. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm; an adult ticket costs €15.50, and entry is free with the Museumkaart and with the I amsterdam City Card. Less crowded than the big museums on the Museumplein, it takes an hour and a half to two hours to visit, ten minutes' walk from Dam Square and a stone's throw from the Munttoren and the Flower Market.

Highlights

The Nederlandsche Bank building

The stone facade on the Oude Turfmarkt, right by the water, was once the headquarters of the Dutch central bank. The museum, opened in 1934 on the Sarphatistraat, moved here in 1976 after the bank left. It is named after Allard Pierson (1831-1896), the first professor of classical archaeology at the University of Amsterdam.

Ancient Egypt

The Egyptian section brings together mummies, sarcophagi, statuettes and funerary papyri from Thebes, with a film explaining the stages of mummification. You will also see reliefs from the Roman period in which emperors had themselves depicted as pharaohs.

Greece, Rome and the Etruscans

The display cases hold Greek black-figure and red-figure vases, Roman bronzes, Etruscan terracotta statuettes and Roman sarcophagi, including a rare wooden coffin carved around AD 150. The plaster cast gallery reproduces major Greek and Roman statues.

Autumn 2026 exhibitions

"Glass, Made in Antiquity", on ancient glass and how it was made, has been extended until 1 November 2026. "The Art of Transformation", until the end of November 2026, draws on the university's theatre collection: costumes, photographs, recordings and set designs about cross-dressing, the Slingelandt theatre and the revue star Louisette. Both are included in the admission ticket.

Opening hours and prices

Museum, café and shop Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 5pm; reading room Monday to Friday 9:30am to 5pm. Closed on Mondays, King's Day (27 April), 25 December and 1 January; open on Easter Monday, 5 May and Whit Monday. Adults €15.50; students with a CJP or ISIC card €7.50; UvA and HvA students and staff €6; children aged 5 to 18 €3.50, free for younger children; free with the Museumkaart and the I amsterdam City Card.

Infos pratiques

Tips

With the I amsterdam City Card there is no need to book a time slot: just show a valid card on the day of your visit. With the Uitpas, tickets are 40% cheaper on weekdays before 1pm, outside school holidays. At €3.50 for ages 5 to 18, it is one of the cheapest museums in Amsterdam for a family, and children can try discovery workshops about the ancient world (prices checked in October 2026). If the city's own history interests you too, the Amsterdam Museum presents its Amsterdam in Motion exhibition at the Westergasfabriek.

How to get there

Oude Turfmarkt 127-129, 1012 GC Amsterdam. From Central Station (Amsterdam Centraal), trams 4 and 14 to the Rokin stop, or metro 52 to Rokin station. Ten minutes' walk from Dam Square. Bike parking at the Rokin (first 24 hours free); car parks at the Rokin, the Kalverstraat and the Bijenkorf nearby.