Amsterdam: National Holocaust Museum Entry Ticket
Hightlight
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English-Speaking
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Group-Friendly
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Local guide
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Reservations
History
Opened in 2024, the National Holocaust Museum is located in the Hervormde Kweekschool, a teacher training college built in 1886. During WWII, from 1942 to 1943, director Henriëtte Pimentel and resistance members used the building to rescue 600 Jewish children from the deportation center next door at the Hollandsche Schouwburg theater.
The museum preserves original classrooms, corridors, and the garden where children waited before being smuggled to safety. It stands directly across from the Hollandsche Schouwburg, now a memorial, creating a powerful dual site honoring the 102,000 Dutch Jews murdered in the Holocaust.
Highlights
- Visit the Hervormde Kweekschool, where 600 children were saved from deportation
- Access the Hollandsche Schouwburg National Holocaust Memorial (included)
- View personal items, diaries, and photos that bring individual stories to life
- Explore reconstructed hiding places and resistance escape routes
- Reflect in the quiet courtyard garden, once a safe space for rescued children
- Understand the Netherlands’ devastating 75% Jewish mortality rate during the war
Full Description
Enter the National Holocaust Museum, housed in the very building where courage defied terror. From 1941, the Hollandsche Schouwburg theater across the street was transformed into a Nazi holding facility—over 100,000 Jews were processed there before deportation. Meanwhile, the Kweekschool became a secret rescue operation: children were hidden overnight, then smuggled out through back doors, trams, and laundry baskets to rural hideouts.
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Your ticket covers both locations. Start in the Kweekschool: walk past preserved blackboards, peer into cramped attics, and read letters from survivors. Displays recreate pre-war Jewish life in Amsterdam—schools, markets, synagogues—before yellow stars and curfews. The upper floors examine postwar silence, restitution struggles, and how the Netherlands remembers its role.
Cross to the Hollandsche Schouwburg: the theater’s interior is gone, replaced by a solemn void. An eternal flame burns where the stage once stood, and walls bear 6,700 family names. Together, these sites weave loss, resistance, and remembrance into a profound, unflinching narrative.
Why Choose This Attraction?
This is not just a museum—it is a rescue site turned place of truth. You stand where children were hidden, then face the theater that sent thousands to their deaths. Personal artifacts—dolls, forged papers, final postcards—make history deeply human.
With 7-day validity, wheelchair access, and no time restrictions, it allows contemplation at your own pace. Essential for grasping the Dutch experience of the Holocaust and the cost of complicity.
What’s Included
- Entry to National Holocaust Museum (Hervormde Kweekschool)
- Entry to Hollandsche Schouwburg National Holocaust Memorial
- Full access to permanent exhibitions and multimedia stations
- Free audio guide (QR code download, 6 languages)
- Wheelchair-accessible paths and elevators
- 7-day validity from first activation
- Free cloakroom and Wi-Fi
- Photography permitted (no flash, respectful use)
Pricing
From $23 per person
Meeting Point
National Holocaust Museum, Plantage Middenlaan 27, 1018 DB Amsterdam, Netherlands. Use the main Kweekschool entrance (glass extension).
How to Get There
- By Tram: Line 14 to Plantage Kerklaan (1-min walk)
- By Metro: Waterlooplein (Lines 51, 53, 54) – 10-min walk
- By Bike: 15 min from Centraal; racks at entrance
- By Foot: 20 min from Dam Square via Jewish Cultural Quarter
- By Bus: Line 22 or N87 to Artis (5-min walk)
Good to Know
What to Bring
- Comfortable shoes (two sites, some cobblestones)
- Smartphone + headphones (audio guide)
- Tissues (content is emotional)
- Light jacket (cool historic rooms)
Know Before You Go
- Open Tue–Sun 10 AM–5 PM (closed Mon and Jewish holidays)
- Plan 2–3 hours total (1.5 hr per site)
- Large bags not allowed (use cloakroom)
- Silence requested in memorial areas
- Free entry for Holocaust survivors, companions, and children under 13 (with adult)
Reviews
- Great museum, better than expected. My son and I took our time—no rush, very moving. Highly recommend.
- Beautiful exhibition, passionate staff. Emotional and thorough. Give it half a day—there’s so much to take in.
- Important history that should never be forgotten. The rescue stories offered light in the darkness.
Maps
Video
FAQ's
What happened at the Hervormde Kweekschool during the rescues?
Between October 1942 and September 1943, director Henriëtte Pimentel and a network of resistance workers smuggled 600 Jewish children out of the Kweekschool daycare. The children were held next door at the Hollandsche Schouwburg before deportation. At night, babies were carried in baskets, toddlers walked in small groups disguised as schoolchildren, and older kids were hidden in trams or laundry vans. They were taken to safe houses in Friesland, Limburg, and beyond. Pimentel was arrested in 1943 and killed in Auschwitz. The museum preserves her desk and the garden path used in escapes.
What will I see at the Hollandsche Schouwburg memorial?
The Hollandsche Schouwburg was a lively Jewish theater until 1941. The Nazis emptied it and used it to detain over 60,000 Amsterdam Jews before sending them to transit camps. Today, the interior is stripped bare: the stage is replaced by a marble obelisk and eternal flame. Walls list 6,700 family names of those with no known grave. A small upstairs exhibit shows pre-war playbills and resistance documents. The emptiness is intentional—silence speaks where voices were silenced. Allow 45–60 minutes.
Is the museum appropriate for children, and what age is recommended?
Yes, with adult guidance. Children under 13 enter free. Graphic images are avoided; the focus is on daily life, resistance, and hope. Interactive screens let kids pack a virtual hiding suitcase or decode messages. Themes of family separation are heavy, so ages 10+ are recommended. A family audio guide (English/Dutch) uses simpler language. Staff can suggest shorter paths. The courtyard garden offers space to process emotions.
Can I visit both sites in one day, and how much time should I allow?
Yes—most visitors spend 2.5–3 hours total (1.5 hr at the Kweekschool, 45–60 min at the Schouwburg). Start at the Kweekschool (ticket scan), then walk 2 minutes to the Schouwburg (show e-ticket). No time limit inside. The 7-day validity allows splitting visits if preferred. Arrive by 2 PM to finish before 5 PM closing. Weekdays before noon are quietest. Pair with the nearby Jewish Museum or Anne Frank House for a full day in the Jewish Quarter.
Are audio guides available, and in what languages?
Yes—a free audio guide is accessed via smartphone (scan QR code at entrance). Narrated by descendants of survivors and historians, it covers 20+ stops and is available in English, Dutch, German, French, Spanish, and Hebrew. Duration: 60–90 minutes. Bring headphones (or rent for €1). A 30-minute short version and family edition are included. No app download needed—just a browser and Wi-Fi (free on-site). The guide animates objects: hear a rescued teddy bear’s story or a tram conductor recall hiding children.
