The Scheepvaartmuseum is located in Amsterdam at the Kattenburgerplein, which is about 10 minutes walk from the Central Station and hence in the center of the city. The building in which the museum is located is stately, beautiful and large but certainly not comparable to the appearance of nearby buildings. Previously, the building was the Lands Zeemagazijn, where things were stored for safe navigation and therefore the building had a very important function at that time as well.

Collection

Did you know that the Maritime Museum has the second largest maritime collection in the world? More than 400,000 objects are present in the museum. Most of the collection comes from donations, shipping companies, bought at auctions, etc.

Some highlights of the collection are:

• Replica of the VOC ship: A replica right next to the building in water. You can go on the ship and see both the inside and outside of it.
• The King's Sloop: A galley from 1816 with which Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard sailed in 1962 to celebrate their silver wedding.
• The Steamship of Christiaan Brunings: This ship is also moored next to the museum and served as icebreaker and management ship of Rijkswaterstaat.

In addition to the above objects, there are many thousands of other objects to admire, such as excavations, paintings, books, etc...

Children and families

For this target group, the museum is very suitable, there is a separate wing of the museum designated for children. In a fun and playful way they will learn more about shipping and marine life and everything that comes with it. A junior audio tour, VR glasses, VOC ship Amsterdam and the story of the whale are just a few things that will keep them entertained and educated.

Café restaurant and shop

Between learning and discovering, you also have to think about yourself. In the museum there is a nice café restaurant. Here you can enjoy a drink and a sandwich while being enchanted by views over the water. If you want to learn more about maritime life after the museum, you can with question find something to enjoy in the museum shop. Books, maps, maps and much more can be found here.