Why go

ARTIS, founded in 1838, is one of the oldest zoos in Europe and a much-loved part of Amsterdam. It lies in the leafy Plantage district, east of the old centre, and it is as much a park as a zoo, with mature trees, ponds and 19th-century buildings scattered among the animal enclosures.

Alongside the animals, ARTIS has a planetarium, a historic aquarium and two museums: Micropia, the world’s first museum devoted to microbes, and the Groote Museum, which explores how humans and nature are connected. It makes a full day out for families, and an easy escape from the busier city centre for anyone who wants some green space.

The Plantage itself is one of Amsterdam’s most pleasant districts, laid out in the 19th century with wide streets, villas and gardens, and it is home to several museums as well as the zoo. A visit to ARTIS fits naturally into a day exploring the eastern side of the city.

The zoo’s name comes from its original motto, Natura Artis Magistra, nature is the teacher of art, and that idea runs through the place. Its gardens are planted with care, many of its buildings are listed monuments, and the zoo works on breeding programmes for endangered species. In winter it is quiet and atmospheric, while in spring and summer it is lively with families and school groups.

What to see

  • The animals. Big cats, elephants, giraffes, apes and hundreds of other species in landscaped enclosures.
  • The aquarium. A 19th-century building with tanks recreating coral reefs and the canals of Amsterdam.
  • The planetarium. Shows about the night sky and the universe, included with a zoo ticket.
  • Micropia. An award-winning museum about microbes, the tiny life forms in and around us.
  • The butterfly pavilion. A warm greenhouse full of tropical butterflies.

Plan your visit

ARTIS is open every day. In November 2026 it opens from 9am to 5pm, and it keeps those hours on 24, 25 and 26 December, closing at 4pm on New Year’s Eve and opening at 10am on New Year’s Day. Hours are longer in summer.

Zoo tickets bought online cost from €29.50 for ages 13 and over and from €25.50 for ages 3 to 12, about €3 less than at the gate, and children under 3 go free. Micropia and the Groote Museum each cost from €17 for ages 13 and over, are free for children aged 12 and under, and are cheaper when added to a zoo ticket. From September, a Late Afternoon ticket lets you visit the zoo from 3pm for €15.

Allow three to five hours. Tram 14 stops at the gate, and Waterlooplein metro station is about ten minutes’ walk away. The Artisplein square at the entrance, with a café, is free to visit from 7am to 11.30pm.

Nearby

The Hortus Botanicus, one of the oldest botanical gardens in the world, is a few minutes’ walk away. The Dutch Resistance Museum is across the road, and the Jewish Cultural Quarter, the Rembrandt House and Waterlooplein market are about ten minutes’ walk west. The windmill and brewery at Brouwerij ‘t IJ are a short walk east.