Museum Willet-Holthuysen

Step inside a perfectly preserved 17th-century Amsterdam canal house and experience life as a wealthy merchant family in the Golden Age.

Museum Willet-Holthuysen is one of Amsterdam's most intimate and evocative museums — a 17th-century canal house on the Herengracht that has been preserved almost exactly as it was when its last owner, Sandrina Louisa Willet-Holthuysen, bequeathed it to the city in 1895. On Museum Night, the house is lit entirely by candlelight, recreating the atmosphere of a 19th-century soirée. Actors in period costume move through the rooms, playing the roles of servants and guests, while a harpsichordist performs in the formal dining room. Visitors are invited to explore the house freely, discovering hidden details in the collection of paintings, silverware, and decorative arts.

Programme highlights

Location