The Historical Museum

A good option is to go South for a short way on Kalverstraat, a busy commercial shopping street. Escape from the endless stream of shoppers and window-shoppers by turning in through a lopsided gateway adorned with the triple-cross arms of Amsterdam to a quit courtyard.

Beyond is the city’s best history lesson, at the superb Amsterdams Historisch Museum, occupying 17th-centruy buildings that were once home to the Civic Orphanage – note the figures of chubby children dressed in black and red uniforms.

Founded in 1578 on the site of St Lucy’s, a former Franciscan convent, the orphanage was a tribute to Amsterdam’s enlightened city government. The orphanage board had a seat on the city council because “the rich need the poor for the quiet of their souls.”

Its orphanage days ended in 1960, and in 1975 the Historisch Museum relocated here from the Waag (Weigh House) in Nieuwmarkt (the museum was originally founded in 1926). In 1999, the exhibition space was expanded and updated, with many hands-on exhibits added focusing on life in Amsterdam, past and present.

The renovation created a visitor-friendly environment, with informative captions written in both Dutch and English, and an efficient routing plan that gives a clear chronological and thematic insight into the city’s rich history, making subsequent walks around town more informative and enjoyable. At the beginning of the route, one of the best displays is an illuminated plan of Amsterdam that shows clearly how the city grew.

Starting in the year 1050, a light picks out particular periods down through the centuries and simultaneously illuminates the relevant phase of the city’s growth.

The museum affords an excellent overview of Amsterdam’s history from the early 13th century to the present, but given that the richest archives have come from the 17th and 18th centuries, the collection naturally concentrates on those periods and includes Rembrandt’s painting The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Deyman.

It is particularly strong on the era of Dutch maritime exploration. A selection of paintings depicts all of the city’s landmarks as they appeared in their contemporary cityscapes.

A covered passageway, the Schuttersgalerij (Civic Guards Gallery), leading from the Historical Museum to the neighbouring Begijnhof, is a modest history lesson in itself and an unexpected art gallery as well.

Opening hours

Mon-Fri 10.00am - 5.00 pm.
Sat-Sun 11.00am - 5.00 pm