The Canal Museum Boat
So much space on the Amsterdam Canal Museum Boat!
One embarks the canal museum Amsterdam boat at the stern, down five steps. Street noises fade away and are replaced with nautical smells and colours, and (sometimes) the light movement of the swell. Measuring 23 x 4.5m, with a good living space of 80m², this houseboat is equal in size to the average Amsterdam canal house (“grachtenhuis” in dutch). The size and height of the living area inside the houseboat museum amazes people. The opening hours in the high season are every day from 10am to 5pm.
The Canal House (dutch “het grachtenhuis”) on the water
The canal house museum on the water has years of history. It brings you the insight of the Amsterdam canal district and the floating canal house lifestyle. When you are doing a canal cruise, you will also pass by the Herengracht to see the regular canal couse (dutch “het grachtenhuis”) of the rich people back then. If you compare the Herengracht canal with the Prinsengracht, you will notice that there are no houseboats on the Herengracht. Back then, they didnt want to mix the rich with the poor. The city did not change this set up until now. The Herengracht is therefore one of the few canals in the city where you don’t see any floating houses.
The grachtenmuseum Amsterdam is different then the museum van loon. Even though it is also a permanent exhibition to show the life of the houseboat owners. The museum shop gives you the option to purchase some authentic souvenirs. Ticket prices can be seen on our visitor information page. The entrance is included in the Amsterdam City Card.
Visit the former working barge
Back in the day the boat was used as a freighter the skipper would live in the stern with his family. In 2008 it was restored to its former glory. This gives a good insight into living conditions onboard the ship as they were. At the bow you can clearly see how the steel plates, used to construct the boat, are connected with rivets. From 1967 to 1997 the boat has been used as a houseboat and you will see the original decoration in the period rooms which takes you back in time!
Discover the canal museum boat
Our self-guided tour with map will answer your questions. This is available in many different languages. A slide presentation, houseboat models, photos and pamphlets are also available. Discover the unique Amsterdam canal museum boat and book your ticket online!
Curious about how other houseboats look like? Take a private boat tour in Amsterdam to explore the main canals and the variety of houseboats in the city. In the evening time, you can look into many of the houseboats to get a feeling of the boat house lifestyle.
Why to visit a museum on the canals in Amsterdam?
The floating “grachtenhuis” which is a museum on the canals in Amsterdam is unique. The houseboat museum is the only floating grachtenmuseum in the city!
But why were the canals of Amsterdam actually built? And how are they used nowadays?
A lot of questions are usually arising, especially as first time visitor in Amsterdam. The city has so many waterways it is easy to get lost – as it looks all very similar if you are not used to the canal system. In the canal museum, you will be able to learn in an interactive way about the first museum on the canals. Dive into Amsterdam’s world of living on the canals on the houseboatmuseum.