The Grachtenmuseum, long known as Het Grachtenhuis ("the Canal House"), tells how Amsterdam grew from a fishing village into a great merchant city and why, in the 17th century, it dug its ring of canals, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It occupies a canal house at Herengracht 386, designed by Philips Vingboons in the 1660s. The main visit is a five-room multimedia tour with scale models, projections and special effects, followed with a free audio guide in English. The museum is open daily from 10am to 5pm (12pm to 5pm on Mondays); an adult ticket costs €18.50, and entry is free with the Museumkaart or the I amsterdam City Card. Opened in April 2011, it makes a good first visit to understand the city before strolling along the canals.
Highlights
The house at Herengracht 386
The house was built in 1663-1665 to designs by Philips Vingboons for the merchant Karel Gerards. Its five-bay brick façade, crowned with a pediment, was altered at the end of the 18th century by the banker Jan Willink, who had the windows enlarged. Around 1875, the double front steps disappeared and the entrance was lowered to street level.
The period rooms
On the first floor, state rooms recreate the interiors of canal houses across four centuries. The Andriessen room keeps 18th-century murals by Jurriaan Andriessen, idealised landscapes painted in 1776, beneath a contemporary ceiling.
The multimedia tour
In five rooms and about 45 minutes, scale models, animations and 3D projections show how the city expanded and how the ring of canals was laid out and built from 1613 onwards. A tour starts every 10 minutes, in groups of 12 people at most.
The animated dolls' house
A miniature 17th-century canal house comes to life through the "Pepper's ghost" technique: projections reveal the lives of its inhabitants room by room.
Opening hours and prices
Open on Mondays from 12pm to 5pm and Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm, last tour start at 4:30pm. Closed on 1 January, 27 April (King's Day) and 25 December. Adults €18.50, students and CJP €12.50, ages 6-17 €9.50, free up to age 5 and with the Museumkaart, the I amsterdam City Card or the Stadspas.
Infos pratiques
Tips
Card payment only, no cash or American Express (prices checked in October 2026). An online ticket does not give priority access: just turn up and wait for the next tour, every 10 minutes. The audio guide is free in nine languages, including English. The museum is fully wheelchair accessible, with a lift. Children aged 6-14 get a colouring booklet or a treasure hunt. The museum has no café, but the Nine Streets, a few minutes' walk away, have plenty of places to eat.
How to get there
Herengracht 386, 1016 CJ Amsterdam, on the Herengracht, near the Leidsegracht. Tram 2, 17 or 24 to the Koningsplein stop, about 4 minutes' walk away. Rokin metro station (line 52), about 7 minutes' walk away. From Amsterdam Centraal station, it is about a 23-minute walk (1.7 km).
Opening hours
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