Museum of the Canals Amsterdam: 400 Years in an Audiotour

Four centuries of Amsterdam's canals, told inside a single period room

The Museum of the Canals (Grachtenmuseum) is a ticket-and-audiotour experience inside a 17th-century canal house in central Amsterdam that traces 400 years of the city's history through a multimedia exhibition. The audio guide plays in nine languages. Admission includes access to the permanent galleries, a garden, and rotating exhibitions. The museum is fully wheelchair accessible and suitable for all ages.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Amsterdam Museum of the Canals

• Arrive at Museum of the Canals
• Explore 17th-century canal house
• Take multimedia audiotour
• Visit classical period rooms
• Enjoy garden and exhibitions

The Experience

The Museum of the Canals sits in the heart of Amsterdam in an actual 17th-century canal house: the kind of building that defines the city's skyline. You get admission to the permanent multimedia exhibition, which walks you through how Amsterdam grew from a small fishing port into a major metropolis, and why the canals themselves (designated UNESCO world heritage in 2010) matter to the city today. The audio guide is available in nine languages, so you can move through the galleries at your own pace and linger on what interests you.

The museum includes classical period rooms that show how people lived in these canal houses centuries ago, a garden, and changing exhibitions that rotate through the year. Everything is wheelchair accessible, and the layout works for families with young children: strollers and prams are welcome. Public transportation stops nearby if you're staying elsewhere in Amsterdam and don't have a car.

What’s included

• Admission to the Museum of the Canals.
• audio guide in nine languages.
• access to the permanent multimedia exhibition, period rooms, garden and rotating exhibitions.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Grachtenmuseum Amsterdam

Is this one for you?The museum is in central Amsterdam with public transportation nearby, so if you're staying in the city without a car, you can walk or take a tram directly to the canal house: no transfer or planning required.

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Top questions

What does the Museum of the Canals actually show you?

The permanent exhibition traces Amsterdam's transformation over 400 years through multimedia displays, period rooms inside the 17th-century house itself, and explanations of why the canal system became so central to the city's identity and economy.

Can I use the audio guide in my language?

The audio guide is available in nine languages: English, Spanish, Italian, French, and five others, so you can follow along in whichever language you prefer.

Is the Museum of the Canals accessible if I use a wheelchair?

Yes, all areas and surfaces inside the museum are wheelchair accessible, and public transportation options are available nearby to reach the central Amsterdam location.

How long does a visit usually take?

Most visitors spend around an hour inside the museum, though you can move through faster or slower depending on how much time you want to spend with the exhibitions and the garden.

Where exactly is the Museum of the Canals located?

The museum is in a 17th-century canal house in the heart of Amsterdam, with public transportation nearby: no car needed to reach it.