HI! Is the Heineken Experience worth the time in Amsterdam?

Or would it be better if we go to Hortus Botanicus / NEMO?

Many thanks!

We went to the Heineken Experience but not the other places you mention. It was OK. They don't actually brew the beer there. The lines were long in March; I can't imagine how long they will be in summer. But you do get 3 free beers and a glass for the entrance price. We enjoyed the exhibit where you feel like a bottle going through the bottling process (a virtual reality movie).

Hi Tim and Liz,

Thanks for the info. It looks like a marketing ploy (albeit a good one!) by the Heineken guys. Was wondering if a visit there is worth it.

Maybe we'll give it a go. Any one else who've tried it?

Thanks!

I did it years ago. Quite fun, and they made a fuss of anyone whose birthday it was.

Up to you if the Botanical Gardens and a science museum are more or less interesting than a free beer (even if it's only Heineken, which is nothing out of the ordinary). But do they have to be in competition?

Ok...I am not into PAYING for Hokie cheesie things, and was definitely not in the mindset for the Heinken Experience (it poured and I walked from Museumplein to the Brewery...was wet and cold to say the least). I figured...what they hey.

When I left...I had smile on my face. It was worthe the bucks.

NEMO...so..so. Many other fun places to hit in Amsterdam that are also intellectually stimulating.

We enjoyed it thoroughly last August. It was a nice break from serious museums and non-stop sightseeing, and we are not really beer drinkers either. I agree with Tim and Liz, the bottling process was fun.

Thanks guys for the replies!

Indeed the Heineken Experience is worth the time! As said before, you get 3 free beers AND a keepsake glass, but it's interesting and fun! Especially the simulated "horses"! You get to feel like you're driving the horses that used to deliver the beer!

I had been to Amsterdam 10 times before we finally did the Heineken Experience..And i loved it!! That beer is darn good..

I'm hitting Amsterdam for the first time next Month, but one of my best friends who has been a few times has made it clear to me that the Heineken museum is the one thing I can't miss. She loved it.

Her directions were: skip the coffee shops, bike around, and go to the Heineken museum.
(But don't worry, I will be seeing other things--I wouldn't miss the Van Gogh museum for the world!)

I hope you enjoy your trip!

Just a historical note. The tour of the Heiniken brewery must have changed over the years. In the '70s I lived for a while on a barge in a canal very near the brewery.

We used to go down to watch the end of the tour, as it was a real hoot. I don't think there was a limit on the amount of beer you could drink. When the tour ended, the police would come to close off the street. The doors would open and the really drunken (mostly young Americans and Swedes) would pour out onto the street. Staggering, lurching about, and singing. Literally bouncing off the buildings. I'm sure there would have been fatalities if the traffic hadn't been stopped.

I guess they don't have to take those precautions now, what with that stingy three beer limit.