The Ons' Lieve Heer op Solder museum ("Our Lord in the Attic"), at Oudezijds Voorburgwal 38, preserves a clandestine Catholic church fitted out in the 17th century under the roof of a merchant's house. After 1578, public Catholic worship was banned in Amsterdam; Catholics celebrated mass in house churches that the city tolerated as long as they could not be seen from the street. The museum is open daily from 10am to 6pm; a ticket costs €18, €7.50 for ages 5 to 17, and entry is free with the Museumkaart or the I amsterdam City Card, with a booking. Open to the public since 1888, it is one of the oldest museums in the city. Allow 50 minutes to 1.5 hours for your visit, with a free audio guide in English included.
Highlights
The attic church
The Catholic merchant Jan Hartman bought the house on 10 May 1661 and had the attics of the canal house and of two houses behind it joined together. The church created this way, dedicated in 1663, can hold about 150 worshippers on two levels of galleries. In 1667, 70 baptisms and 14 weddings took place here.
The Baroque altar
Framed by two marbled columns decorated with cherubs holding a lily, the altar holds a painting by Jacob de Wit from 1716, The Baptism of Christ in the Jordan. The painting could be swapped for other scenes according to the feasts of the liturgical year.
The 17th-century house
Before climbing to the church, the visit takes you through the living quarters: the grand reception room (the Sael), the tiled kitchen, the priest's room and the confessional. You see how family life and clandestine worship shared the same roof.
A European monument
The house, a listed national monument, received the European Heritage Label in 2024, awarded by the European Union to sites that shaped the history of Europe; here it illustrates the religious tolerance of the Dutch Republic.
Opening hours and prices
Open daily from 10am to 6pm; on the first Sunday of the month, from September to June, it opens at 11am because of the church service. Closed on 25 December and 27 April (King's Day). Adults €18, ages 5-17 €7.50, free up to age 4, students with an ISIC or CJP card €11.50. Free with the Museumkaart, the I amsterdam City Card or the Stadspas, but you still have to book a ticket.
Infos pratiques
Tips
Book your ticket online to be sure of getting in, including with a museum pass (prices checked in October 2026). The audio guide is free in eight languages, including English. The stairs in the house are narrow and steep: the museum cannot be visited in a wheelchair or with a pushchair, and the lockers only take small bags, not suitcases. Photos without flash are allowed. The [Oude Kerk](/fr/attractions/oude-kerk-amsterdam) is two minutes' walk away.
How to get there
Oudezijds Voorburgwal 38, 1012 GD Amsterdam. About 5 minutes' walk from [Amsterdam Centraal](/fr/attractions/gare-centrale-amsterdam) station (trains, metro 51, 52, 53 and 54, trams and buses). Nieuwmarkt metro station (lines 51, 53 and 54), about 5 minutes' walk away.
Opening hours
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