Why go

Rembrandt van Rijn bought this tall brick house on the Jodenbreestraat in 1639, when he was the most successful painter in Amsterdam, and lived and worked here for nearly 20 years. He painted some of his greatest works in its studio, including The Night Watch, and taught his pupils in the rooms upstairs. In 1658, after years of overspending, he went bankrupt and had to leave.

The inventory drawn up for his creditors survives, and it allowed the museum to furnish the house as it would have looked in his day. The result is one of the most atmospheric small museums in Amsterdam: a chance to step into the daily life of a Golden Age artist, from his kitchen and bedroom to his studio and his cabinet of curiosities.

Next to the historic house is a modern wing with temporary exhibitions about Rembrandt, his pupils and the artists he inspired. The current exhibition invites visitors to experiment and make their own artwork among the prints and paintings on display.

Rembrandt was famous above all as a printmaker as well as a painter, and the museum owns an almost complete collection of his etchings: portraits, landscapes, biblical scenes and self-portraits, many no bigger than a postcard. A selection is always on show, and seeing them close up, in the house where many were made, is the highlight of a visit for many people.

What to see

  • The studio. Rembrandt’s large, light-filled studio on the top floor, set up with easels and paints.
  • The art cabinet. A room packed with shells, busts, weapons and other objects he collected.
  • The etchings. A large collection of Rembrandt’s prints, shown in rotation.
  • Demonstrations. Staff show how etchings were printed and how paints were made in the 17th century.
  • The box bed. The kitchen and living rooms show how a prosperous household lived.

Plan your visit

The museum opens every day from 10am. From 2 November to 18 December 2026 it closes at 5pm, and from 19 to 31 December at 6pm, except on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, when it closes at 5pm. It is closed on Christmas Day.

Adults pay €23.50, or €19.50 for off-peak visits between 4pm and 6pm on days when the museum stays open late. Students with a CJP or ISIC card pay €15, children aged 6 to 17 pay €8, and under 6s go free. Entry is free with the Museumkaart and the I amsterdam City Card, which makes this an easy add-on if you have one. Allow an hour to an hour and a half.

The house is on the Jodenbreestraat, a two-minute walk from Waterlooplein metro station. The historic rooms are reached by narrow, steep stairs, as in most Amsterdam houses of the period, so check the museum’s access information if stairs are difficult for you.

Nearby

The Waterlooplein flea market is around the corner, and the Jewish Cultural Quarter, with the Portuguese Synagogue and the Jewish Museum, is a few minutes’ walk away. Nieuwmarkt and the Red Light District are just to the north, and ARTIS is about ten minutes’ walk east.