Museum Card (Netherlands)
 

Hi all,

I am trying to find out more information about the Museum Card, how to purchase it, and how it works with the Anne Frank House.
From my research, as I love museum hopping and will be visiting several cities across the Netherlands - the Museum Card seems like the better deal over the I Amsterdam City pass. Especially since Amsterdam seems pretty walkable so I'm unsure of the transport pass included in the city pass is worth it. Am I off base?

If the museum pass is the right choice - can I buy this in advance? Or do I have to wait until I arrive in the Netherlands to purchase? I read that you could buy it in several museums in Amsterdam but I'd like to get it in advance if possible.

The reason I want to get it in advance is because of the Anne Frank House. I believe this is included in the Museum card. However, from what I've read, the time slot to enter is not. So if I understand correctly, I would get the Card, and then book a time slot online for the Anne Frank House - is that right?

Sorry for all of the questions, any help is much appreciated!

Just a quick comment: You can buy the Museum card at any of the covered museums including the Anne Frank House. No real need to buy it in advance. I probably would not buy it at the AF House because it is such a busy place, but you could. You do need to pre book a time slot -- but you don't need to have the card in hand to reserve there. Just as long as you have the card before your time slot.

Go into one of the smaller museums and get it there; the Tassenmuseum, for example. Or the Amsterdam museum, which is not so busy and a good starting point for your visit to Amsterdam.
I assume you are only using it for this one visit? If you want to use if for the entire year, it needs to have a photo on it.

Indeed you need to book time slots at Anne Frank, if you have a Museumkaart.

You cannot buy it in advance unless you are resident in the Netherlands. Buy it at one of the smaller participating museums. You will be given a temporary card, valid for 31 days. Without a Dutch address you cannot convert it into one valid for a year, as the photocard is sent to your home.

For the Anne Frankhuis you book your timeslot online and say you have a museum card. You don't actually have to have one in your possesion at the time, just have one before you get to AFH. Same with the van Gogh museum if you want to go there - it is better to book a time slot online if you can.

If a museum has an extra exhibition on besides their normal offering they will often charge more. As a museum card holder you will pay only the small extra fee. For instance for the upcoming Escher Exhibition in Leeuwarden you have to pay €18 without a card or €5 with the card. It is worth booking that in advance too if you are interested to avoid the queues at the cashdesks. You still have to queue briefly to have your card and extra ticket for the Escher scanned but the queues are a lot less and move faster.

The Hermitage in Amsterdam also charges an additional small fee, for Museumkaart holders.

Thank you everyone! This makes perfect sense. I'll just get the card when I arrive in Amsterdam at one of the less visited museums. I'll be sure to book a time slot for both the Van Gogh and Anne Frank Museums.

Make sure you visit both the Handbag and Purse Museum and the Troppenmuseum in AMS my two faves! I bought tickets on line /time slot for Anne Frank in advance and bought my museum card at the Handbag museum, my first port of call.

TROPENMUSEUM! Not Troppenmuseum.

Thank you.

Yes you can, just not via the website. Just contact the helpdesk via 0800-0203388 or [email protected]

Hi all,

I'm hearing that the Museum Card was (very) recently changed so that you can now only visit 5 museums with the temporary card? Is this true?

Thank you!

Hi Sadclown. I checked the museumkaart website. It's true a temporary museumkaart is limited to 5 museums/valid for 31 days. HOWEVER, you can register your temporary card online, after which a permanent card will be sent to your home address. HOWEVER, part of registration is an administrative fee by direct debit IBAN or BIC.

So, have your BIC banking information to hand, and a photo file to upload (dropbox for instance) and you can register online. Your temporary card will have no restrictions, and you'll get a wonderful museumkaart once you return home.

registration:
https://www.museumkaart.nl/Registration

PS, perhaps a good idea to take a screenshot of the registration confirmation page, or the confirmation email and bring that with you to museum #6 to wrangle non-plussed museum staff.

There are indeed several recent changes to the museumcard. One of them is the new limit on museum visits. The other is the possibility to register online, for a fee, for certain non-Dutch addresses.

The registration does not lift the restrictions on the temporary card. The temporary card becomes invalid after:
- 30 days after first use
- 5 museum visits
- 5 days after registration

Within 5 days after registration you will receive a new card with a photo at the address used in the registration form. That photo card does not have any other restrictions than the 1 year validity.

You can only register with an address in the European Union (except Romenia). Cards will not be sent outside of that area. For a non-Dutch address, there is an extra fee which can only be paid by SEPA direct debit for which you need an International Bank Account Number (IBAN). Credit card payments are not accepted.

Wow why so Byzantine?

It really isnt that complex. You have to take into account that the Musuemkaart is not and never was aimed at foreign tourist who wanted to visit as many museums (mainly in and around Amsterdam) as possible within a very short period of time. It was and is meant to give Dutch citizens cheaper access to museums, so that the museums have more visitors and thus more revenue.

On average a card holder visits 6.6 museums a year (https://www.museumkaart.nl/Over-ons). If that average goes up, that has concequenses. The most important one will be that the museumcard will (again) increase in price. which will eventually lead to less people buying the card.

Understood why they'd want to restrict unlimited museum card use for tourists and I guess not allowing other EU folks to avail of it could be illegal - I guess reason you can go thru hoops to convert new tourist museum card into unlimited one if you have EU address. Thanks for the insights from locals - invaluable as usual.