Amsterdam, a city renowned for its rich history, stunning canals, and vibrant culture, is home to many world-class museums. Among these cultural gems stands the Anne Frank House, a poignant symbol of the city’s historical significance during World War II. This article delves into the history, features, and importance of the Anne Frank House to guide visitors on their exploration of this iconic museum.
Anne Frank museum
The Anne Frank House, located on the Prinsengracht canal in Amsterdam, is the actual house where Anne Frank, a young Jewish girl, hid with her family during Nazi occupation in World War II. Today, the museum stands as a powerful reminder of the atrocities of the war and serves as a symbol of hope, tolerance, and freedom. As you walk through the museum, you’ll be immersed in a moving narrative that brings the Frank family’s experiences to life.
The museum showcases various historical documents, photographs, and objects that belonged to those in hiding and the people who helped them. Each exhibit contributes to painting a vivid picture of the wartime period.
The Secret Annex
The centerpiece of the Anne Frank House is the Secret Annex, a hidden space behind a movable bookcase. It was in this confined space that Anne and her family lived in hiding for two years. You’ll get a sense of their daily life and the fear they lived under.
Anne’s Diary
Anne’s diary, which she received on her 13th birthday and wrote in while hiding, is one of the most powerful exhibits in the museum. The original diary, along with other notebooks where she penned her thoughts, dreams, and fears, are on display.
Opening hours
The Anne Frank museum is open every day from 9am to 10pm. When booking your ticket, you choose a time slot. There are some exceptions:
| Anne Frank House | Opening hours |
|---|---|
| Every day | 9 am – 10 pm |
| 1 January | 12 noon – 10 pm |
| 27 April (King’s Day) | 9 am – 5 pm |
| 4 May | 9 am – 5 pm |
| 12, 13, 14 September | Closed |
| 25 September – Yom Kippur | Closed |
| 25 December | 9 am – 5 pm |
| 31 December | 9 am – 5 pm |
Ticket price Anne Frank Museum
To visit the Anne Frank museum, you need a ticket. You buy these tickets for a specific day and time slot. It is important to buy your ticket in advance through the official online ticket shop. Ticket are on sale up to 6 weeks in advance. New tickets (for a visit six weeks later) will become available every Tuesday at 10am CEST. Ticket prices depend on age. While booking, you can choose to get a 30-minute introduction (in English) for an additional €7.00.
Please note: no tickets will be sold at the box office at the museum
| Anne Frank House tickets | Price | |
|---|---|---|
| Adult (18+) | € 16.00 | Book now |
| Child (10-17) | € 7.00 | Book now |
| Child (0-9) | € 1.00 | Book now |
What if Anne Frank tickets are sold out?
The Anne Frank House is often sold out well in advance. We therefore always recommend making reservations as soon as tickets become available (6 weeks before your visit on Tuesday at 10am CEST).
If you don’t manage to buy tickets to the Anne Frank House through the official ticketshop, you can still check if someone is selling their tickets. It regularly happens that people have bought tickets and cannot go. Tickets cannot be cancelled but may be resold. To avoid dealing with scammers, we recommend always sell and buy second-hand tickets via Ticketswap.
If tickets can’t be obtained through Ticketswap either, then unfortunately it is not possible to visit the museum. If you do want to know more about Anne Frank’s life in Amsterdam, there are guided walking tours where a local guide can tell you all about Anne Frank’s life. The walking tour takes about 2 hours and gives you an insight into Anne Frank’s life, synagogues and war history. The tour is also perfect to do as a complement to the Anne Frank museum for when you did manage to book tickets.
Please note: these guided tours do NOT include entry to the Anne Frank house. Tours are available for the following languages: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish.
Check current prices and availability for the Anne Frank walking tour in Amsterdam.
How to travel easily to Anne Frank house?
The Anne Frank House is located in the centre of Amsterdam at Prinsengracht 263-267. The museum entrance is around the corner at 20 Westermarkt. From Central Station, it’s about a 20-minute walk. Trams 13 and 17 stop nearby, at stop ‘Westermarkt’. From Dam Square, it’s a 10-minute walk. You can take all the time you need to visit the Anne Frank House. On average, a visit takes an hour.
Frequently asked questions
The museum works with time slots. After entering, you can stay as long as you want.
An average visit to the Anne Frank House takes around 1 to 1.5 hours. However, this depends a lot on your own pace and how much time you take to see the various exhibitions and displays. It is recommended to reserve enough time to appreciate the full story of Anne Frank and her family.
Yes, tickets to the Anne Frank House sell out very quickly. If you buy your tickets 6 weeks before your visit, you have the best chance. Every Tuesday at 10am CEST, tickets become available for a new week (6 weeks in the future).
No, tickets will not be rescheduled or refunded. Once a day and time slot are sold out, no new tickets will become available for that day / time slot.
No tickets for the Anne Frank House unfortunately cannot be rescheduled or cancelled.
Yes, the Anne Frank House has many stairs. Are you less agile? Then you may have difficulty climbing the steep stairs.
The recommended minimum age for children is 10, but it is up to parents to judge whether their child is ready for such a serious subject.
To protect the originals in the museum and not to inconvenience other visitors, photography is not allowed in the museum.
Yes, there is a cloakroom in the museum. Here you can hand in your coat, bag, umbrella, buggy or pushchair. Handbags smaller than A4 may be taken into the museum. There is no room in the cloakroom for large bags, rucksacks, suitcases or other large items. Leave your luggage at your hotel or at the luggage deposit at Central Station. This will prevent you from possibly not being able to enter the museum.
The audio tour is essential for your visit to the museum. It provides you with more information about the persecution of Jews, World War II, the people in hiding and the helpers. The audio tour is an essential complement to the stories told in the museum and the documents and objects you see there. The free audio tour is available in nine languages: German, English, French, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Dutch, Portuguese, Spanish
Map of the canal district in Amsterdam
You will never be bored in the canal district of Amsterdam. The many shops, restaurants, hotels, attractions and museums ensure that both young and old are entertained. There are also many activities to undertake on or along the canals. Use the map below to explore the canal area. What are you going to do in Amsterdam?
