Wereldmuseum Amsterdam guide
Tropenmuseum Amsterdam
Wereldmuseum Amsterdam, formerly known as Tropenmuseum is not exactly a hidden gem, lots of people know about it, it’s one of the biggest museums in Amsterdam, but it does seem to be less headline grabbing than the likes of Van Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum for the visitor.
This may have something to do with its location not being in Museumplein, but to miss the Wereldmuseum/Tropenmuseum is to miss out on one of the most fascinating museums in Amsterdam.
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Wereldmuseum Amsterdam Tickets
There are a few ticket choices for available. They also happily include 18-year-olds as part of the child price and only start charging adult price from 19 years onwards (a nice touch).
Ticket Prices at Wereldmuseum
Adult (19 and over): €17.50
Children (6-18 years): €9
Children (o-5): Free
Students: €10
You can gain free entry with the I Amsterdam City Card.
Wereldmuseum Amsterdam focuses on world cultures and has permanent and evolving exhibitions that will interest anyone. It’s also a very beautiful building to visit in Amsterdam Oost (East).
Opening times Wereldmuseum Amsterdam
The Wereldmuseum Amsterdam is closed on Mondays except on public holidays and during school holidays. The rest of the time it is open Tuesday through to Sunday.
Opening hours are 10am until 5pm.
The museum is also closed on Christmas Day (25 Dec), New years Day (1 Jan) and King’s Day (27 April).
How to get to Wereldmuseum Amsterdam
Wereldmuseum is in the East of Amsterdam by Oosterpark, not far from Artis Royal Zoo.
We do like a good walk round Amsterdam, but this one would take you around 40 minutes from Central Station, so perhaps this is a good time to take the iconic Amsterdam trams.
From Central Station use Tram 14 and get off at Alexanderplein.
From Sloterdijk use Tram 19 and get off at Eerste van Swindenstraat.
You can even arrive there by canal on one of the canal buses or using the Artis Expressboat and walking round the zoo to the museum.
Is Wereldmuseum worth visiting?
It is fair to say there is a lot to see at the Tropenmuseum/Wereldmuseum. You can easily while away an afternoon looking at the various permanent and visiting exhibitions.
You’ll also just enjoy wandering round the building itself. It is vast and has a lovely spacious feel, not least from the absolutely stunning central light hall with glass ceiling flooding the building with natural light.
World Cultures
Although originally focussing on the Netherlands, Tropenmuseum/Wereldmuseum has grown to encompass all world cultures and hosts multiple treasures from around the globe.
The museum does not just focus on the past but looks at present cultures too.
As Tropenmuseum/Wereldmuseum focuses on world cultures, you can expect to journey to various far off lands and experience an inspiring dip into worlds you may have yet to experience. This is why the museum is particularly good for kids and introducing them to all the worlds differences and possibilities.
Temporary Exhibitions
As with all museums, Tropenmuseum/Wereldmuseum hosts temporary exhibitions that have relevance to its core goals. These temporary exhibitions often feature perhaps lesser known artists or areas and give them a platform to reach more people.
As an example visiting exhibitions include ‘Someone is getting rich’ which looks at colonialism and finance, ‘Divas’ which looks at Arab music and cinema and ‘Plastic Crush’ which looks at our changing relationship with plastic.
There are various language audio guides, a family friendly Festivities! Worldwide and you can even book a Discover your lover tour that perhaps breaks the ice on first dates or is an interesting exploration of each other via a quiz.
Wereldmuseum Amsterdam accessibility
Tropenmuseum/Wereldmuseum is very accessible with lifts to all floors. They provide wheelchairs for visitors. Mobility scooters are not allowed though.
There is a special interactive programme for people who are blind or visually impaired where you can discover Tropenmuseum by touch, smell and sound, through special stories.
