Museum Van Loon
Photo: Own work — CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Discover the rich history of Amsterdam’s 17th-century canal houses at Museum Van Loon, showcasing art, furniture, and the Van Loon family’s legacy.
Planning your visit
Museum Van Loon occupies a 1672 canal house on the Keizersgracht, and the Van Loon family were there from 1884 until the museum opened in 1973 — with descendants still connected to it, which is why the house feels lived in rather than staged.
The family's founding member co-founded the Dutch East India Company, and the portraits, silver, furniture and porcelain accumulated over generations remain in place. The kitchen below stairs, the family portraits climbing the staircase, and the coach house across the formal garden complete the arrangement.
The garden is the distinguishing feature. Amsterdam canal houses are narrow and deep, and their walled gardens are almost entirely invisible from the street; this one is open, laid out formally with the coach house behind, and gives a sense of how the merchant elite actually lived that the facades never reveal.
Allow an hour. The main booking is an entry ticket. Current availability is listed below.
Before you book
Where is Museum Van Loon?
Museum Van Loon is in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The map on this page marks its exact location.
How long should I allow for Museum Van Loon?
Allow an hour. That is the time the collection itself takes at an unhurried pace, before any queue.
Do I need to book Museum Van Loon in advance?
Tickets can be bought on the door at quiet times, but booking ahead fixes the date and avoids the queue at busy ones. Live availability is shown on this page.