Tropenmuseum (Museum of the Tropics)

Tropenmuseum (Museum of the Tropics) Review

The country's largest anthropological museum was first built to educate the Dutch about their colonial history in Indonesia and the West Indies, but now excels in hands-on exhibits covering all non-Western cultures. A gorgeous, skylighted, tiered interior is rich with wood, marble, and gilt, and not only displays endless pieces of antiquity, art, and musical instruments, but also makes these accessible through workshops and in playful, simulated villages and bazaars that you walk through, touching, smelling, hearing music, and feeling the physical experience of life in Java, the Middle East, India, Africa, and Latin America (where you'll also find the city's smallest Internet café, El Cybernetico). There's also a great patio where you can enjoy food from the globe-embracing café. At the Tropenmuseum Junior (www.tropenmuseumjunior.nl), children can participate directly in the life of another culture through fun programs involving art, dance, song, and sometimes even cooking. Every weekend the smallest children (under six) and their parents can visit the Kartini Wing, where they can enjoy drawing, building, and folding. For children aged four and over, there are special children's routes through the museum and events on Wednesday afternoons and holidays. All children's activities are in Dutch only.