With close to one million objects and 1.2 million visitors a year, Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum (State Museum) is the largest museum of art and history in the Netherlands and Amsterdam's most popular attraction. The Neo-Gothic building located on Museumplein square holds the magnificent Dutch national art collection of some 5,000 paintings, 30,000 pieces of applied art and 17,000 historical artifacts.
The museum will start extensive renovations in 2003 until 2006, but the West Wing will remain open during the renovation and will house part of the collection.

The museum was designed by P.J.H. Cuypers and opened in 1885. The Rijksmuseum is perhaps best known for its collection of 17th-century Dutch masters, with twenty Rembrandts, four by Vermeer and numerous other paintings by artists, such as Frans Hals and Jan Steen. But of course the museum houses more than just paintings: there are superb collections of for example silver, doll's houses, mysterious Asiatic art and since 1996 a photographic collection.

The Garden
P.J.H. Cuypers not only designed the Rijksmuseum but also the museum's garden. The beautiful garden is not particularly well known however it is definitely worth a visit. The garden houses a treasure trove of flowers, fountains and summerhouses as well as an amazing collection of sculptures. The 'ruins' in this garden are an attraction in their own right. At the end of the 19th century fragments of buildings from all over Holland were brought together. The result is a collection of five centuries of Dutch architecture. This ranges from gothic pillars from Edam to 17th century town gates from towns such as Groningen and Deventer.

An Evening to Remember at the Rijksmuseum
To dine under the gaze of the militiamen in the 'Night Watch' or to drink beneath a Frans
Hals? It's possible at the Rijksmuseum! Top exhibition locations are open for receptions and dinners. At the Rijksmuseum you can entertain your guests in this exclusive and stylish setting.

The Rijksmuseum exclusively for yourself
After the museum closes, you can mingle with your guests surrounded by great works of Dutch art. Naturally, the choice of the program is up to you, but we are happy to assist. We can help you decide how to arrange the tables and also what kind of entertainment to book.

A range of options is available for completing the evening program. A guided tour of an exhibition perhaps, a talk on the museums permanent collection, or a vivid lecture?

Special morning or evening
If you would like to entertain guests without the catering or art-historical program, an exclusive viewing can be organized outside the museum's opening hours.

Tour the historic windmill landscape

The Zaanse Schans is a fully inhabited, open-air conservation area and museum located 9 miles north of Amsterdam. Original buildings vividly depict Dutch life in the 17th and 18th centuries. The authentic houses, the historic shipyard, the clog-making demonstrations and, above all, the windmills, attract hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. De Zaan region is probably the world's first industrial site ever. Some 250 years ago, well over 800 windmills were cramped into this relatively small area. They performed a wide range of industrial duties. Of the five windmills, three are open to visitors. A boat tour on the river Zaan offers a particularly wonderful view of these mills. 

The open-air museum also features a wooden shoemaker, a pewter factory, bakery, cheese and dairy farm, and a century-old grocery store.