Description: OLD CENTER / RED LIGHT DISTRICT. Affiliated with the University of Amsterdam, this museum offers a glimpse into the life and culture of the ancient world. From the Egyptian to the Roman period, and including the Greeks and the Etruscans, the institution puts forth exhibits featuring mummies, textiles, pottery, sculpture, domestic goods and decorative objects. The influence of particular cultures on successive generations is addressed, and the models and artifacts representing various time periods prove enlightening. Traveling exhibits can also be viewed.

 

Description: OLD CENTER / RED LIGHT DISTRICT. Via a host of artifacts and interactive exhibits, this terrific museum documents Amsterdam's growth and development from the medieval era to the present. Within the walls of the city's former orphanage, the museum delivers artwork, archaeology, porcelain, silver and illustrative models. Although the content may seem a bit staid at first glance, you'll be pleasantly surprised at how engaging this journey through the centuries can be. The courtyard makes a wonderful place to catch your breath, and walk through the outdoor Civic Guard Gallery into the Begijnhof.

 

Description: WESTERN CANAL RING / JORDAAN. Thanks to her diary, the story of Anne Frank's hiding from the Nazis is a well-known historical event. Nevertheless, visitors to the actual building where she, her family and friends hid during the German Occupation will find themselves thrown into instant contemplation in the face of this tangible reminder. Once-hidden rooms still contain period memorabilia, along with the haunting presence of those who spent two years of their lives secreted behind walls, dreaming of eventual freedom. Although only Otto Frank, Anne's father, would realize that hope, the experience of the rest will never be forgotten. Come early – or in the evening – to avoid the lines at this humbling site.

 

Description: CENTRAL CANAL RING. Seeking to expand the biblical knowledge of visitors and to illustrate the influence of the age-old text on the people of the Netherlands, this informative museum is a must for religious scholars and those who delight in their faith and in history. Set in two remarkable, 17th-century buildings, the museum helps flesh out the world of the Bible and of the Levant and boasts period artifacts, temple models, significant printings of the Bible, and the artistic works of Dutch believers. Built from the collection of Leendert Schouten, the museum also offers lovely ceiling paintings and a private garden complete with plants known to the ancients.

 

Description: OLD CENTER / RED LIGHT DISTRICT. Although its mission is to document Jewish history, experience and culture, this museum is a worthwhile stop for all visitors. Originally opened in 1932, JHM closed during the German invasion of the 1940s, when the Nazis confiscated much of the collection. It reopened in 1955, bolstered by donated materials, and now occupies a complex of four former synagogues dating from the 17th and 18th centuries. The architecture itself is amazing, especially when coupled with artwork, religious artifacts and exhibits. Temporary exhibitions also pass through regularly.

 

Description: EASTERN CANAL RING. This relative newcomer on the museum scene devotes itself entirely to one of the most essential fashion accessories for women: the bag. Its specialized collection (the largest of its kind in the world) extends to around 2500 items – including alms purses, thigh bags and vanity-cases – as it traces the history of the bag in Western culture from the 16th century to the present day. Alongside some absolutely fascinating and exquisite pieces – and of course iconic offerings from Versace, Dolce & Gabbana and Dior – there are many unique exhibits including a Chanel bag in the shape of a luxury liner and a bag that took its name from the Clinton family's cat. Bag-aholics however are warned to hold onto their purses when entering the gift shop: It sells a compelling assortment of bags by contemporary international and Dutch designers.

 

Description: EASTERN CANAL RING. A stately, elegant home built in the late 17th century, this museum displays the wealth of generations, as well as various decor styles popular during the past few centuries. The home's final owner, Louisa Holthuysen, bequeathed the residence to the city in the late 19th century on the condition that it be made into a museum. These days, the beautiful interior, the gardens, and the art collection are stunning glimpses into Amsterdam's past and the life of its well-to-do denizens.

 

Description: CENTRAL CANAL RING. Horrible devices designed to elicit confessions from long-ago prisoners comprise the displays in this small, dark museum. The physical pain created by straps, spikes, weights and blades seems unimaginable to modern folks, and the frequency with which these means of punishment and death were employed is enough to give visitors uneasy pause. Formerly government- and church-sanctioned, the instruments of torture also draw forth sighs of relief from museum-goers, who are simply thankful that times have changed.