The Netherlands is a country of museums: those full of masterpieces and known all over the world, and smaller, local ones, allowing you to better understand the history and culture of a given region. Although tickets are often expensive, there is a way to visit many of them without spending a fortune.
It is worth convincing yourself with an example that it is worth buying a Museumkaart even if you are only visiting the Netherlands for a short time.
Example. How to save 100 euros in 5 days?
Mr. Jan came to Amsterdam for five days, where he plans to visit, among others, the three main museums at the Museumplein square. In the Rijksmuseum he will admire the masterpieces of Rembrandt and Vermeer (admission 19 euros,
Amsterdam – Rijksmuseum ), in the Van Gogh Museum he will learn the life story of one of the most famous artists of all time (19 euros, Amsterdam, “Visiting Van Gogh” (Van Gogh Museum, part 1) ), and in the Stedelijk Museum he will see works by Picasso, Mondriaan and Chagall (18.50 euros, Amsterdam, Stedelijk Museum – museum of contemporary art ).
Of course, Mr. Jan will also visit the homes of two very famous Amsterdammers: the Anne Frank Huis (12.50 euros, Anne Frank, a symbol of optimism in times of war ) and the Rembrandthuis (14 euros, Amsterdam, Rembrandt House (Rembrandthuis) ). He also wants to visit two large and old churches in the capital, which are now often the venues for various exhibitions: the Oude Kerk (12 euros, The Old Church in the Prostitution Quarter. De Oude Kerk in Amsterdam ) and the Nieuwe Kerk (e.g. 12.50 euros during the World Press Photo exhibition). If there is enough time, she also wants to go to the Amsterdam Hermitage (Hermitage, 25 euros, ticket for all exhibitions, Amsterdam: Hermitage Museum ), the NEMO science and technology centre (17.50, Amsterdam, NEMO Science Centre, an attraction not only for children ) and the Grachtenhuis canal museum (15 euros, Amsterdam, Het Grachtenhuis, or the Amsterdam canal museum ).
An ambitious plan, but for an avid tourist visiting two museums a day shouldn’t be very difficult. The problem is that it is also a very expensive plan: in total, for tickets to these ten museums and churches, Mr. Jan would pay 163.50 euros.
What if it only cost 64.90 euros? And what if that price included free entry FOR A YEAR to around 400 other museums, churches and monuments?
That’s why it’s worth having a Museumkaart museum card. If Mr. Jan, instead of buying separate tickets at each place, had bought a Museumkaart before coming to the Netherlands, he would have paid a total of only 64.90 euros. The card is valid for a year, so if Mr. Jan came back to the country of windmills in a few months, he would have been able to use it to enter more places for free.
For people permanently residing in the Netherlands, the museum card is an even more attractive choice. With it in your wallet, you can spontaneously visit various museums several times a day that you might not normally go to (NOTE! During the coronavirus pandemic, however, many museums require online reservations in advance).
You happen to be in Utrecht, you see the Spoorwegmuseum ( Utrecht: Spoorwegmuseum or Railway Museum ) and you want to check it out? No problem, you show your card and go in. If you don’t like it, you leave after a few minutes without losing anything (normally an adult ticket costs 17.50 euros there).
Museum Card – What is it?
Museumkaart is a Dutch museum card that gives the user free entry to around 400 different museums, churches and other monuments in the Netherlands. It is a personal card, assigned to a specific person. It cannot therefore be lent to others (the card has a photo of the user). The card can also be purchased by foreigners. You can find a list of museums where Museumkaart is valid: HERE.
How much is it?
The basic card for people aged 19 and over (Volwassenenkaart) currently costs (as of September 2020) €64.90. The card is valid for one year. The Museumkaart for children up to 12 years (Kidskaart) and for young people aged 13-18 (Jongerenkaart) costs €32.45. If you already have a card and want to extend it for another year for the first time, you do not have to pay the administration fee again and you will pay €4.95 less.
Where can you buy it?
You can buy the card online on this website: HERE.
When buying a Museumkaart online, you have to expect that the letter with the card will reach the specified address within five working days. After buying the card online, you cannot use it immediately. You have to wait until the package arrives.
If you want to use the card right away, you have to buy it directly at the museum. But be careful, not every museum that accepts the Museumkaart can also buy it. The list of locations where the card is sold is: HERE.
However, a card purchased at a museum is only a temporary card. It is valid for 31 days and you can visit a maximum of 5 museums with it. Therefore, after purchasing a temporary card at a museum, you should register it online as soon as possible on this page: HERE.
People not residing in the Netherlands can register: HERE.
During registration, a photo of the user’s face must be attached to the online application. After registering the temporary card online, the correct card will be sent by post to the address provided. After receiving the correct card, the temporary Museumkaart will lose its validity.
Is the card valid in all museums?
There are around 400 museums in the Museumkaart program, but there are also museums in the Netherlands that are not part of it. Most often, these are various private, commercial initiatives, such as the Amsterdam Sex Museum, the Torture Museum or Madame Tussauds.
The vast majority of state museums and art galleries are part of this program. Anyone interested in history, art, science, technology, natural history or folklore will not be bored in the Netherlands with the Museumkaart in their pocket. You can find a list of institutions where the Museumkaart is valid: HERE.
Who does the money go to?
The proceeds from the Museumkaart are distributed among the individual museums that are part of the scheme. For each visitor with a Museumkaart, the museum receives a certain amount from this pool (in 2018, this was around 63% of the price of a normal ticket at the venue). Around a quarter of the ticket revenues of Dutch museums come from the Museumkaart scheme.
I lost my card or it was stolen. What should I do?
If your card is stolen or lost, please call 0900-4040910 (open weekdays 9am-5pm). Your card will then be blocked and, after paying a €4.95 administration fee, a new card will be sent to the address provided within 5 working days.
How many people use Museumkaart?
The Dutch museum card has a long tradition and is very popular. It was created at the initiative of the museums themselves in 1980. At that time, around 145,000 people bought the card. In recent years, the card has been gaining popularity. In 2013, one million people already had the Museumkaart, and in 2019 – around 1.4 million. Currently, around 8% of the Dutch population over the age of 5 have the card. The average Museumkaart holder used it around seven times in 2019.