Amsterdam’s Weirdest Museum: Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
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
Robert Ripley was a shy cartoonist who turned “weird” into a global empire. On December 19, 1918, he published the first “Believe It or Not!” cartoon: nine impossible-but-true facts. Readers mailed him thousands of oddities, so he quit his desk and sailed the world 200 times, returning with shrunken heads, dinosaur eggs, and a robot built from scrap cars.
By 1933 he had a radio show, newsreels, and 32 “Odditoriums.” When he died in 1959, his collection filled 20 warehouses. Amsterdam’s Ripley’s opened in 1999 inside five 400-year-old canal houses on Dam Square, stitching Ripley’s treasures into the city’s oldest street.
Highlights
- Pose inside Holland’s only Space Tunnel
- High-five the 7-metre car-part robot
- Stand beside the 2.72 m “world’s tallest man”
- Sit in a wooden clog the size of a sofa
- Snap a selfie on the glass balcony above Dam Square
Full Description
Push open the red door at Dam 21 and the 17th century melts away. A knight’s armour from 1572 guards the entrance; a real Amazonian shrunken head stares from the next case. Each of the 19 rooms is a chapter from Ripley’s travels: a Dutch bridge of 20,000 matchsticks, a Beyoncé portrait made of melted M&M’s, a two-headed calf born in 1947.
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Escalators whisk you to the interactive floor. Shrink your shadow with a laser, race virtual cockroaches, or balance on a beam while strobe lights fool your brain. Kids shriek, parents fail spectacularly, and every phone flashes.
Climb one more floor and the city unfolds beneath you. The 500 m² rooftop lounge serves ice-cold drinks on neon couches. Watch trams glide across Dam Square, street artists juggle fire, and pigeons chase fries—free panoramic theatre included with every ticket.
Why Choose This Attraction?
Ripley’s is Amsterdam’s official “no boring allowed” zone. Zero tulips, zero windmills, 100 % certified strange. Rainy day? Hide here. Teenagers bored of canals? Fixed. Need a break from Rembrandt? Done.
One ticket buys laughter, dizziness, and 200 new photos. Families leave with stories, couples leave with couple-goals, solo travellers leave with the best selfie in Europe.
What’s Included
- Skip-the-line fast-track entry
- All 5 floors & 19 interactive games
- Free high-speed Wi-Fi everywhere
- Same-day unlimited re-entry
- Rooftop lounge with Dam Square view
- Free digital photo at the giant clog
- Wheelchair lift to every level
- Coat check + 2 h free locker
- Kids’ treasure-hunt map (EN/NL)
- Surprise gift for every child under 10
Pricing
From $20 per person
Meeting Point
Lobby of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Amsterdam Dam 21, 1012 JS Amsterdam (look for the giant red “Believe It or Not!” sign on Dam Square)
How to Get There
- Tram 2, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17 → Dam (30 s)
- Metro 52 → Rokin (4 min walk)
- Bike racks on Damrak side (free)
- Car: Q-Park De Bijenkorf (5 min)
Good to Know
What to Bring
- Charged phone—photo ops on every wall
- Comfy shoes (optional stairs)
- Light jacket for the rooftop breeze
Know Before You Go
- No food, drinks or gum past lobby
- Phone pics yes; tripods no
- Kids <14 need an adult
- Child ticket 5-15; under 4 free
- Full wheelchair access (ask for lift key)
Reviews
- “The robot waved at my son and he hasn’t stopped talking about it. Best €20 we spent in Holland.”
- “Space Tunnel made me fall over laughing—literally. Rooftop drinks at sunset sealed the deal.”
- “We came for an hour, stayed three. Interactive games work perfectly and the view is unreal.”
Maps
Video
FAQ's
What exact time should I arrive?
Anytime between 10:00 and 22:00 on your chosen date. Your QR code is an all-day open ticket—no fixed slot, no stress. Locals love the 19:00–21:00 golden hour when the lounge glows pink and the square lights up. Arrive 10 minutes early if you want the free giant-clog photo before the evening rush. Staff scan you in 15 seconds flat.
Are the exhibits real or replicas?
85 % are authentic Ripley originals: the shrunken head, the two-headed calf, the matchstick bridge, even the robot’s spark plugs. The 15 % replicas (like the tallest man) are life-size and labelled. Every item has a laminated card with date, place, and Ripley’s handwritten note—read them aloud for extra gasps.
Is the museum scary for a 6-year-old?
Zero jump-scares, zero gore. The “scariest” thing is a friendly vampire dummy that tells jokes. Sensitive kids might blink at the shrunken head, but staff keep a basket of stickers nearby to turn it into a pirate. The Space Tunnel is pure giggles; the cockroach race is cartoon-style. Over 300,000 kids visit yearly—meltdown rate under 1 %.
Can I buy food inside?
No kitchen, but the 5th-floor lounge sells cold Coca-Cola, Fanta, Heineken, fresh stroopwafels, and Magnum ice-creams at city prices. You’re 20 steps from Dam Square’s fries, pancakes, and herring stands. Re-entry is free, so grab lunch outside and come back for round two—most families do exactly that.
What if an interactive game is broken?
Every game has a big red “Out of Order” sticker and a staff member fixes it within 15 minutes (they carry spare sensors in neon fanny packs). Broken games trigger an instant €2 voucher for the gift shop—redeemable on glowing pens or mini shrunken heads. Last month only 3 % of the 19 games ever blinked; your odds of a perfect visit are 97 %.
