




Available languages
1 hour
Mobile ticket
Learn more about the history of Amsterdam’s canals by visiting the Museum of the Canals (Grachtenmuseum) in Amsterdam. A dazzling audiovisual exhibition will take you on a journey through 400 years of Amsterdam history and you'll learn how Amsterdam transformed from a small fishing port into a metropolis and why the canals, which received UNESCO world heritage status in 2010, are important to this day.
Wheelchair accessible
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Get to know the history of Amsterdam and its canals. The Museum of the Canals is located in a 17th-century canal house in the heart of Amsterdam, with classical period rooms, a permanent multimedia tour, beautiful garden and changing exhibitions. Fun for all ages!
Audio guide in 9 languages
Admission to the Museum of the Canals
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
42 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
rickandchris,Jun 14, 2026
- Review from Viator
Very informative about Amsterdam! The history of the formation is quite educational. Learned a lot of things to appreciate what it is today.
BridgeMinder,May 31, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
The museum is informative and worth a visit. The museum has an unusual 3D presentation. The presentation is good, but not great. I likely a great deal about the history of the canals.
Tammy A,Apr 20, 2026
- Review from Viator
It is very interesting, explaining the history of the development and the canals of Amsterdam. I highly recommend it.
cydwood,Apr 18, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
A spur of the moment visit and was one of the best museums we have ever been to. Modern and well set out. 10/10







Cathi J,Apr 14, 2026
- Review from Viator
The museum is interesting and informative of how the city of Amsterdam was made and built. It also gives a good overview of society life in the 18th and 19th century. It is a good tour and is nice that it does not sell out fast like so many museums in Amsterdam.
HeenaK24,Apr 3, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
Very nicely done, although it’s more of listening to a pre recorded version
E6405LIjuliab,Mar 27, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
What a little gem! We only went as we had time to kill and it's both very interesting and very well done - the audio guide and the models set up in each room are imaginative and engaging. Well done!
Kreintje,Feb 1, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
You walk, in a group, from room to room. So looking at things at your own pace is not one of them. In the spaces, the history of Amsterdam, and in particular the creation of the canal belt, is depicted. Meanwhile, listen to the explanation on the audio device. It's all very fancy and hip, but also rather superficial. I thought it was more of an experience than a museum. The temporary exhibition "Amsterdam, almost demolished" on the bell - floor was small, but in itself nice. I think the price of 18.50 for a ticket is really too high. But fortunately, the museum annual pass is valid.







dguest2016,Nov 24, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
Described as a 'multimedia' tour, this is 45 minutes or so of presentations in a variety of inventive styles that explain the history of Amsterdam's canals and the growth of the city. At reception you are given an audio unit in the appropriate language and when a sufficient number of people has assembled you are ushered into the first of a series of connected, darkened rooms. My favourite was the council-chamber reconstruction of the city fathers' 17th century deliberations. You could also stand in the canal, as it were, and watch the buildings going up around you. The final room gave glimpses into the interiors, at historic intervals, of the building that houses the museum and into others along the main canal banks. The audio's lip-service to some contemporary concerns was mildly irritating for being incomplete. Amsterdam's role in the trans-Atlantic slave trade was mentioned only briefly and I can recall no reference to the Dutch East India Company at all. On the other hand elements laid out hundreds of years ago - canalside trees, and the gardens of the houses of the wealthy - were cited in support of the city's green credentials. At €17.50 it's not spectacularly good value, but it's different and some aspects are very well done.
jeffrey o,Nov 10, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
This was a very simplistic, almost childish exhibition. Models of Amsterdam that looked like they were made by high school students were illuminated with lights while we listen to an audio guide. There were two or three rooms with other scale models that were very poorly done. I would not do this activity again.
Operated by Grachtenmuseum Amsterdam