At the Amsterdam Houseboat Museum , you get the chance to experience first-hand what it’s like to live on the canals in a houseboat in Amsterdam. The Museum houseboat Amsterdam is located in the “Hendrika Maria”, a former cargo ship built in 1914.

The cargo hold is now a cosy living space featuring all the conveniences and a surprising amount of space and comfort. It is located on the Prinsengracht, in the famous Jordaan district of Amsterdam. Just a few minutes walk from Anne Frank House and not too far from the Van Gogh Museum.

Owning a houseboat in Amsterdam ourselves, we noticed how curious passers-by were about its interior. We were bombarded with questions:

1. How are you supplied with water and electricity?
2. Where does the waste water go?
3. Isn’t it cold, damp and dark onboard?
4. How small are the bedrooms?

All questions to which people desired an answer. And so came up the idea to open the Amsterdam houseboat to the public.

• Multilingual self-guided audio tour (available languages: English, German, Dutch, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Italian)
• Interactive video walls
• Learn about the history of Amsterdam cargo ships and experience how they were turned into residential houseboats
• Cozy outdoor terrace for great Amsterdam canal views
• Admire the green roof of the houseboat and its famous dutch flower bike on top
• Souvenir Shop for maritime gift ideas

The boathouses in the dutch capital Amsterdam reflect a spectacular form of living on the water . Visiting the boat house in Amsterdam will give you a insight of this lifestyle. Many Amsterdam houseboats look similar from the outside, but are completely different from inside. The majority of the boats are older (100+ years) freight ships which are turned into floating houses. You will be surprised how spacious and cozy it is on board. Of course, the space needs to be used efficiently so you don’t waste valuable square metres on the popular city center area called Jordaan .

In the city center, the square metre price can be around 10.000 EUR and higher. Houseboats in Amsterdam started as a cheap way of living back in the day, but transformed into an equally expensive housing alternative nowadays. Experience the boat house and its rooms. See the bedrooms from 1914 and also the interior when it was turned into a residential houseboat in 1967.

The Hendrika Maria in Amsterdam is part of a historic dutch fleet. In North Holland, it was very common to use freight ships especially in the Rotterdam harbor. The Netherlands also became a wealthy country because of all the trade ships they had – the dutch were pioneers on trading via the water! In the region of North Holland, old cargo ships were turned into private houses because of housing shortage. Back in the day, many poor people made use of the vessels as accommodation.

The life inside the old ships in Amsterdam was way different back then. If you come on board of the Houseboat Museum, guests can experience first hand how the houseboat lifestyle is in comparison to regular rent apartments. Even though they are equipped with a small kitchen, the set-up is a bit different from a hotel and can usually be less comfortable – if the boat is not upgraded to a certain standard.

1. Traditional Houseboats (Tjalks and Barges)
   These houseboats are converted from former cargo vessels such as Tjalks or barges. Their wooden interiors and vintage designs often retain their nautical charm, providing visitors a peek into how life on the water looked decades ago. The authenticity of these boats, from their large steering wheels to the porthole windows, offers an unparalleled historical experience.
2. Modern Houseboats (Floating Homes)
   A more recent trend has seen the rise of custom-built floating homes that resemble traditional houses more than boats. These Amsterdam houseboats are built on floating concrete pontoons and offer a luxurious living space with modern utilities, large windows, and eco-friendly systems. These floating homes combine innovation with the unique experience of living on water in Amsterdam.

Living on a house boat in Amsterdam offers a serene and peaceful lifestyle, where the gentle movement of water provides a constant reminder of the city’s strong connection to its waterways. Many houseboat residents speak of the unique sense of freedom they feel, being able to live in the heart of the city while still feeling disconnected from its busy streets. The tranquil environment on the canals allows residents to enjoy nature, with ducks and swans regularly floating by their windows.

While a stay in a boat house in Amsterdam can be different experience, it is probably a unique way to get a feel of the vibrant Amsterdam centre. On the Amsterdam Amstel river, there are many comfortable houseboats. Some of them are even two floors and make them superiour spacious houseboats. In the Netherlands, travelers often choose for cozy houseboats for an authentic stay. In the city centre, most of the unique houseboats offer free Wi-Fi, private bathrooms and amazing views on the dutch canals.

Popular amenities on board of a house boat Amsterdam is certainly a window facing the water. With a great view comes a great stay and you can enjoy the region of North Holland on a typical dutch houseboat. Amsterdam has the most offer on houseboat rentals.

However, the municipality of Amsterdam has limited the number of allowed rental nights for vacation rentals due to a preferred limitation of tourists per year. Currently, it is only allowed to rent out your private house boat for 30 nights per year. If owners have a bed and breakfast license, the boat can be rented out throughout the whole year in Amsterdam.

The sounds of the bedrooms can also be different on a canal vacation rental. If the Amsterdam canals are very busy with boat traffic and go faster than the speed limit, the dutch houseboat rentals can make weird sounds. Attached with ropes on the side of the walls, those noises are some to get used to if you rent an Amsterdam houseboat.

House boat living also requires a close relationship with maintenance, as these homes require regular checks on their moorings, sewage systems and hull integrity. Yet, despite these challenges, the reward of living on the water of Amsterdam makes it all worthwhile.

Nowadays, many vacation rentals in central Amsterdam offer Amsterdam houseboat rentals for short stay. The Houseboat Museum gives a great insight for all those that you like to experience a houseboat before renting it. Or even to dive into the history of houseboat living. In the museum, you will also have the chance to watch the maintenance video when the boat house goes to the shipyard. It is recommended from the insurance to go at least every 6 years.

Have a look inside our boat museum and feel like a houseboat local for a while! Buy your tickets .

The Amsterdam Boat Museum of the canals was initiated in 1996 from Vincent van Loon. It is located on the most popular canal of Amsterdam – the Prinsengracht. The idea behind was to provide visitors entrance to the first boat museum on the canals and an insight of how it feels like to live on the canals of Amsterdam.

Featuring a video walls, a multilingual audio guided tour, interesting books about old as well as modern canal boat houses, the museum highlights the advantages and disadvantages of this way of living. But also a lot of other questions about canals in Amsterdam are answered in this museum. Located on the canals, it will also explain more about the rich history of the canal system and how it developed into a city full of houseboats.

Don’t miss out your chance – as in which other city will you have the opportunity to visit a canal museum then in Amsterdam?