Museumplein Amsterdam: the museum square, what to see and how to get there

Updated on October 8, 2026

The Museumplein is the large grassy square in the south of Amsterdam, lined by the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, the Stedelijk Museum and the Concertgebouw. Access is free at any hour: people come for the photo in front of the Rijksmuseum façade, to picnic on the lawn between two visits, or to meet friends before a concert. A pond fills the centre of the square; in winter it becomes an ice rink. Allow thirty minutes for a walk around the square, or half a day with a museum visit.

Highlights

The lawn and the pond

The heart of the square is a vast lawn with a large shallow pond. In good weather, locals and visitors settle there to read, play or picnic, facing the museums.

The winter ice rink

In winter, the pond becomes an open-air ice rink open to the public. Dates and prices change every year: check the rink's official website before you come.

The Concertgebouw

At the end of the square, the 1888 concert hall is famous for its acoustics. Seen from the Museumplein, its columned façade is one of the most photographed in the district.

The museums around the square

The Rijksmuseum closes the square to the north-east, the Van Gogh Museum and the Stedelijk Museum line its west side, and the Moco Museum occupies a villa on the Honthorststraat right next door. Each has its own page: Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum, Stedelijk Museum and Moco Museum.

Practical info

Tips

The square itself is free, but almost all the museums require a timed ticket, to be booked online several days ahead in high season. An underground car park, the Q-Park Museumplein (Van Baerlestraat 33b), lies under the square, but a car is of little use here. The museum cafés are busy at lunchtime: see our guide to where to eat near the Rijksmuseum. Watch your bag and your bike: the square is very busy, and pickpocketing happens here as in the rest of the centre. To compare the museums, read our guide to the museum quarter.

How to get there

Museumplein, 1071 DJ Amsterdam. From Central Station, trams 2 and 24 to the Museumplein stop, in about fifteen minutes (tram 5 also serves the district). Metro line 52: Vijzelgracht station, less than ten minutes on foot. The Vondelpark is ten minutes on foot to the north-west. Bike racks surround the square.