In short
The National Maritime Museum, or Het Scheepvaartmuseum, explores the relationship between seafaring and Dutch society. Paintings, ship models, charts and navigation instruments offer different ways into that history. Outside, the replica Amsterdam makes the scale of an East Indiaman tangible, while the galleries invite a closer look at the people, labour and power behind maritime trade.
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Prices and hours of the National Maritime Museum
The museum normally opens daily 10:00–17:00. It lists closures on King’s Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Check your visit date, especially if you want to board the replica ship: weather and operational conditions can restrict access separately from the galleries.
At the 23 October 2026 check, selected partner entry and the museum’s adult category start from €20. The museum currently advertises an online-only autumn offer for ages 5–17; confirm its dates and reserve that category rather than buying an adult ticket.
Hours
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Museum 10:00–17:00
Normally Monday–Sunday.
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Holiday closures Check your date
King’s Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
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Replica ship Weather dependent
Strong wind can restrict or close the ship and jetty.
Prices
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Adult admission From €20
Checked 23 October 2026; final offer conditions apply.
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Students From €8.50
Official category; check proof and eligibility.
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Children Check age offer
Under 5 free; online autumn offer currently advertised for ages 5–17.
What to see at Het Scheepvaartmuseum
Move between objects that describe a voyage in different ways: a chart proposes a route, a navigation instrument helps determine position, a model explains a vessel and a painting frames how the sea was represented. Then compare those representations with the replica ship at the jetty. Not every object in the collection is on display at once.
Replica Amsterdam Must see
Explore an East Indiaman reconstruction, subject to access and weather.
Navigation and charts
Compare the tools and images used to understand a route.
Ship models
Look closely at construction and the way a vessel is represented.
Maritime paintings
Consider both the image and the story it chooses to tell.
The historic storehouse
Read the building as part of the waterfront’s working history.
Quick summary of a maritime museum visit
Allow around 2–3 hours for a selection of galleries and the replica ship, with more time if following audio interpretation or visiting with children. This is a planning range. Keep any canal-cruise booking separate from your museum timetable and allow travel to the departure pier.
Best moment
A visit with time for both galleries and ship
Crowd
Allow room on stairs, passages and the jetty
Kid friendly
Choose family exhibitions appropriate to age
Unmissable
The connection between collection objects and the replica
Type of experience
Maritime history, art and independent exploration
What to expect
Indoor galleries and weather-dependent ship access
How to visit the National Maritime Museum
Choose independent museum admission or a combination adding a 75-minute canal cruise. The replica Amsterdam is a museum exhibit at the jetty; it is not the boat used for the cruise. Check each product’s boarding instructions, visit dates and cancellation conditions.
The selected GetYourGuide entry includes recorded audio interpretation. An audio tour is distinct from a live guided visit. The wider cruise guide linked below compares other boat experiences around Amsterdam.
Het Scheepvaartmuseum (National Maritime Museum): Entry Ticket
75 minute Blue Boat Company City Canal Cruise and Maritime Museum
National Maritime Museum: Entry & Audio Tour
Good to know
Exhibitions and facilities can be reached by lift.
The replica ship has only partial accessible access: the hold and upper deck are not wheelchair accessible.
Strong wind can restrict or close the ship and jetty.
The museum is cashless; check the accepted payment methods.
Practical tips
Start with one collection theme rather than trying to read every label.
Check ship access on arrival before planning the rest of your route.
Ask about the most suitable family exhibitions for your children’s ages.
Allow travel time between the museum and a separately booked cruise.
How to reach the National Maritime Museum
The entrance is at Kattenburgerplein 1, 1018 KK Amsterdam, on the eastern waterfront. Plan your journey to the museum address, not to a canal-cruise boarding point. Use the current public-transport planner and leave time for the final walk.
Use the current journey planner for Kattenburgerplein 1. Confirm the final walk to the museum entrance.
Approach along public waterfront routes and pavements. Leave time before your reservation and check the route from your starting point.
Follow suitable cycle routes and park legally without blocking entrances or pedestrian space.
National Maritime Museum, Kattenburgerplein 1, Amsterdam
Official Transport in Barcelona
An Admiralty storehouse and maritime connections
The museum occupies ’s Lands Zeemagazijn, built in 1656 to a design by Daniel Stalpaert as a warehouse for the Admiralty of Amsterdam. It stored the equipment needed by a war fleet, from sails and flags to tools and cannon. The building should not be confused with a VOC warehouse.
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The maritime world linked Amsterdam to distant places, but those connections were never only a story of technical skill and prosperity. The museum addresses colonialism and the history of slavery as part of maritime history. Read a beautiful object alongside the systems of labour, violence and exchange that made its circulation possible.
The replica Amsterdam adds another layer. Built as a modern reconstruction, it has stood at the museum jetty since 1991. Its creation began as an employment project for young people during a period of high unemployment. It represents an eighteenth-century VOC ship, rather than an original vessel preserved from that period.
The original Amsterdam was wrecked off the south coast of England on its maiden voyage in 1749. The museum distinguishes the cargo carried by this vessel from the wider history of colonial exploitation. The reconstruction is therefore both a place to learn about life aboard and an object whose own modern history deserves attention.
Ships, trade and the histories behind them
The museum building was an Admiralty storehouse, not a VOC headquarters.
Daniel Stalpaert designed the 1656 building.
Rainwater was collected beneath the courtyard for ships’ drinking-water supplies.
The ship at the jetty is a modern replica.
That replica has been at the museum since 1991.
Maritime museum tickets and Amsterdam canal experiences
Find your stay near the National Maritime Museum
Compare accommodation near Kattenburgerplein using the map centred on the museum. Check actual walking routes, transport connections and your other plans as well as room prices. A waterfront location can suit a different itinerary from a stay around Museumplein.
National Maritime Museum visiting questions
Is the ship an original eighteenth-century vessel?
No. The Amsterdam at the jetty is a modern replica. It has been at the museum since 1991.
How long should I allow?
Around 2–3 hours is a useful planning range for selected galleries and the ship, with extra time for a slower or family visit.
Is the replica a canal cruise?
No. It is a museum exhibit. A canal cruise is a separate activity with its own boat, departure point and booking rules.
Is the museum wheelchair accessible?
The museum states that exhibitions and facilities can be reached by lift. The replica has partial access: its hold and upper deck are not wheelchair accessible.
Can bad weather close the ship?
Yes. Wind and other conditions can restrict access or close the ship and jetty. Check on the day.
Are children always free?
Under-5s are listed free. An online-only autumn special is currently advertised for ages 5–17; check dates and reserve the correct category.
Can I pay cash?
No. The museum states that the entrance, restaurant and shop are cashless. Check accepted card methods.
Does an audio ticket include a live guide?
No. Recorded audio interpretation supports an independent visit. A live guided tour must be explicitly included in the booked product.
