Het Scheepvaartmuseum Museum

Address: Kattenburgerplein 1, 1018 KK Amsterdam, Netherlands

Website: https://www.hetscheepvaartmuseum.nl/en

Het Scheepvaartmuseum is the National Maritime Museum of the Netherlands, located in Amsterdam in a former 17th-century naval storehouse. The institution presents Dutch maritime history through ship models, maps, naval instruments and interactive displays.

A central highlight is the full-scale replica of an 18th-century East Indiaman moored in the museum’s courtyard that visitors can board to experience shipboard spaces. Inside the historic storehouse visitors move through vaulted storage areas converted into exhibition galleries that combine the building’s architecture with modern interpretive design.

The building itself dates to the mid-17th century and the museum reopened after a major restoration in 2011 that adapted the naval storehouse for contemporary museology. It is located close to Amsterdam’s central area, on the former naval wharf.

• Building age and restoration: Housed in a 17th-century naval storehouse that dates from the mid-1600s and extensively restored before reopening to the public in 2011.

What to See#

• Replica ship in the courtyard: The museum’s signature full-scale replica of an 18th-century Dutch East Indiaman displayed in the courtyard, accessible to visitors for boarding and interpretation.
• Main exhibition halls: Main exhibition halls inside the former naval storehouse that present maritime art, maps, model ships and interactive displays on Dutch seafaring history.
• Historic building: Restored 17th-century storehouse architecture that includes vaulted storage spaces and galleries integrated with modern exhibition design; the original building dates to the mid-17th century.

• By train and on foot: Het Scheepvaartmuseum (The National Maritime Museum) is in Amsterdam’s Oosterdok area, about a 10-15 minute walk from Amsterdam Centraal station across the eastern dock area.

• By tram/ferry/taxi: Several local trams and ferries serve the Centraal/Oosterdok area and there are bus stops and taxi ranks close to the museum entrance.

• Buy tickets online and aim for a weekday morning to avoid the peak of canal‑city visitor traffic and cruise groups.
• Don't miss the full‑scale replica of the 18th‑century ship Amsterdam in the museum's dock area-seeing the ship gives essential context to the maritime displays and is often overlooked by brief visits.
• Allow time to walk the museum's outdoor dockyard area as well as the indoor galleries; the combination of ship‑related exhibits and the historic warehouse architecture is part of the experience.