Rijksmuseum

The Rijksmuseum is the Dutch national museum in Amsterdam, dedicated to arts and history with a strong focus on the Dutch Golden Age. The current building by Pierre Cuypers opened in 1885 and the museum underwent a major renovation completed in 2013.

The collection highlights include 17th-century masters such as Rembrandt and Vermeer, with the Night Watch displayed in a purpose-built gallery within the central route through the museum. Rooms also show decorative arts, historical objects and maritime-related works.

The museum was founded in the early 19th century and has expanded its holdings and facilities since, becoming a principal repository for national art collections and conservation. The 21st-century renovation restored original architectural features while reorganizing galleries for chronological and thematic displays.

The Rijksmuseum is located on Museumplein in the Amsterdam borough of South, adjacent to the Van Gogh Museum and within walking distance of Amsterdam Centraal via public transport.

• Timed tickets: Timed-entry tickets are commonly used and help avoid long waits; morning entries tend to be less crowded for major works like the Night Watch.
• Museum district: The museum sits on Museumplein alongside the Van Gogh Museum and Stedelijk Museum, making it convenient to combine visits in a single day.

What to See #

• Gallery of Honour: A sequence of rooms known as the Gallery of Honour that displays the museum's most celebrated 17th-century Dutch paintings, including Rembrandt's Night Watch in a dedicated space.
• Decorative arts galleries: Galleries of applied and decorative arts and historical interiors, showing silver, ceramics, and a range of Dutch domestic and maritime artifacts across the museum's collections.