Family Things to Do in Amsterdam: Nine Picks by Age

1. Rijksmuseum: free for everyone up to 18

The Rijksmuseum is the easiest family stop in Amsterdam, because visitors up to 18 enter free. Adults pay €25, which becomes €26.50 in 2027, and the museum asks every visitor to book a start time. It is open every day from 9:00 to 17:00, including holidays, according to the museum.

Every age fits here, as a first hour of paintings with a clear goal. The museum has a "Families and children" section on its site, but its FAQ page does not describe the children's activities, so read that section before you go.

The Rijksmuseum page on this site compares the ways to book. If you want one fixed slot, the Rijksmuseum entry ticket costs from €27 per person. GetYourGuide Tours & Tickets GmbH sells it, and it is rated 4.68 from 33,903 reviews. The price includes the booking fee and the cloakroom. A guide and the multimedia tour are not included, and you can cancel for free up to 24 hours before. The listing does not say how it prices children, so check the booking page before you add them.

A pass can lower the adults' bill. NEMO in pick 3 is free with the Amsterdam City Card, but the Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House are not part of it, as I amsterdam says.

2. Van Gogh Museum: free under 18, with a start time

Children and teenagers under 18 enter the Van Gogh Museum free. Adults pay €25, which becomes €26 on 1 January 2027, the museum lists.

Tickets are sold online only, and every visitor needs a ticket with a start time. The museum has an audio tour in twelve languages that you book together with admission. Book early, because the museum is not part of the City Card and you cannot buy at the door.

School-age children and teenagers who like to follow one artist's life will get the most from it. The ticket page names no children's programme, so let a young child pick one painting to find.

Pro Tip Book the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum on the same day, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Children up to 18 are free at both, so only the adults pay, and each slot is fixed.

3. NEMO Science Museum: hands-on from age 4

NEMO is the museum that children can touch. A ticket costs €21.50 per person from age 4, and the museum says it is suitable for all ages. Some activities are only for visitors aged 6 and over. Nothing is said about children under 4. The museum has a lactation room on the third floor, and its page does not mention prams. For rides across the city, the free IJ ferry page gives no free-ride age, and it names only pedestrians, cyclists, mopeds, wheelchairs and mobility aids. On GVB (Amsterdam city transport), children up to age 3 already ride free. The GVB child day ticket for ages 4 to 11 costs €5.00 for 24 hours and is sold only in advance, not on board. From 1 January 2027, children aged 4 to 11 ride free with a paying adult.

Children under 13 may only visit with an adult. NEMO is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 17:30. It also opens on Mondays during school holidays and on public holidays, and on Mondays from April to September. Small lockers take a 50-cent coin or a NEMO coin, and suitcases cannot be stored.

Ages 4 to 12 will like it most, and it is a good plan for a rainy afternoon. Holders of a Museumkaart or an I amsterdam City Card enter free, but they must book online and show the card at the entrance.

If you also want a boat ride, the canal cruise and NEMO ticket costs from €37 per person. Tours & Tickets runs it, and it is rated 4.2 from 202 reviews. It includes a one-hour canal cruise with an audio guide in 19 languages and fast-track entry to NEMO. You start at the museum, at Oosterdok 2, and the NEMO entry is a timed slot. The ticket cannot be rescheduled or cancelled, and wheelchair users cannot join, as the listing says it is not suitable for them.

4. A'DAM Lookout: the tower, the swing and a free ferry ride

The A'DAM Lookout gives a view over the city from high above, and the way there is half the fun. From the back of Amsterdam Centraal, you take the free F3 ferry across the IJ, which I amsterdam describes as free for pedestrians and cyclists. You rarely wait more than a few minutes to board.

Online, the Lookout lists an adult ticket at €16.50 and a child ticket for ages 4 to 12 at €10.50. A family with one adult and two children pays €31, and two adults with two children pay €46. Nothing is listed for children under 4. The "Over the Edge" swing costs €7.50 online and needs a minimum height of 1.20 m.

The view suits ages 4 and up, and the swing suits children about 1.20 m tall. Compare the family prices with the A'DAM Lookout ticket with a drink, which costs from €21 per person. A'DAM Lookout runs it, and it is rated 4.6 from 5,301 reviews. The drink is a Heineken beer, house wine or a soft drink, and the swing is not included. Cancel for free up to 24 hours before. People with epilepsy are advised against it.

5. The Upside Down Experience: an indoor hour and a half

The Upside Down Experience is an indoor attraction with upside down rooms and a large ball pit, as the GetYourGuide listing describes it. You find it at Europaboulevard 5, close to the RAI metro station, and it works on a rainy day. Its terms say that children under 13 cannot enter without a parent or supervisor. The site's FAQ adds that it is not a children's museum, and everyone joins in. Most visitors spend 1 to 1.5 hours inside.

The Upside Down ticket costs from €21 per person for about 1.5 hours. The Upside Down Amsterdam runs it, and it is rated 4.4 from 13,548 reviews. It includes lockers, digital photo downloads and a printed welcome picture. The venue is accessible to wheelchairs by an elevator, and free cancellation applies up to 24 hours before.

Children who like photos and silly rooms will enjoy it, as long as an adult comes along for every child under 13.

6. STRAAT Museum: a free ferry and children's tickets at no cost

STRAAT is a street-art museum in an old shipyard hall, and the trip there is a free boat ride. STRAAT's page says that you take the free ferry to the NDSM wharf from the far left side behind Amsterdam Centraal, and the crossing takes under 15 minutes.

Children aged 0 to 12 are free, but only together with an adult ticket. You may bring no more than five children under 13 per adult ticket. Youth tickets for ages 13 to 18 cost €11.50.

Teenagers and older children who like colour and big pictures will enjoy it most. STRAAT lists no minimum age or visit length, so decide from your children's patience. Read more on the STRAAT Museum page.

7. Rembrandt House Museum: a tour made for families

The Rembrandt House is small enough for a short visit with children. Children aged 6 to 17 pay €8, and children under 6 are free, the museum lists. It also has a multimedia tour made for families with children, which follows a guide character called Kwast through the house.

From 2 November to 18 December 2026 the museum is open from 10:00 to 17:00, and it closes at 18:00 from 19 December, except on 24 and 31 December. It suits ages 6 and up, where the child price starts. The house is at Jodenbreestraat 4, and you can read more on the Rembrandt House page.

For a quick cost check, children pay nothing at the Rijksmuseum (up to 18), the Van Gogh Museum (under 18) and STRAAT (ages 0 to 12). They pay €8 here, €10.50 at the A'DAM Lookout and €21.50 at NEMO. The Upside Down Experience publishes no child price on its terms page, so the GetYourGuide ticket from €21 per person is the only figure we can quote.

8. Anne Frank House: only from age 10

The Anne Frank House sets a minimum age of 10 and says the museum is not suitable for younger children, on its practical information page. The audio tour "Anne's Story" was made for young visitors, and it tells the story from Anne's point of view.

Tickets cost €16.50 for adults and €7.00 for ages 10 to 17, including a €1.00 booking fee. The ticket page says that all tickets go on sale every Tuesday at 10:00 CET for a visit six weeks later. Set a reminder for that Tuesday. Read more on the Anne Frank House page.

Go with children aged 10 and up, after you have talked about the story at home. The house has steep stairs, and only bags smaller than an A4 sheet can go in.

9. The Amsterdam Dungeon: a recommended minimum age of 10

The Amsterdam Dungeon runs shows of about 60 minutes. It recommends a minimum age of 10, and its staff do not check birth dates at the register. The Dungeon's FAQ says that children up to 15 must always be with someone over 18, and the adult decides whether a child is ready.

The FAQ page does not describe how scary the show is, so read the description on the booking page and decide for your child. Find it at Rokin 78.

Go with children aged 10 and up, once an adult has decided the child is ready. Pick another stop if your child is easily frightened.

How to choose family things to do in Amsterdam

Choose by age first, then by cost, then by weather. The Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and STRAAT charge nothing for most children, so they save the most for a family of four. NEMO, the A'DAM Lookout and The Upside Down Experience cost more and give a clear hour of activity.

The best family days in a museum city are planned around the youngest child's age and the oldest child's patience.

The Amsterdam City Card sells children's cards for ages 4 to 17, but a child's card can only be bought together with an adult card. Add up the pass price and your picks before you buy it.

What to skip with children

The Heineken Experience is closed to children. The Experience states that you must be 18 or older, and minors accompanied by an adult are also not allowed in. Read the details on the Heineken Experience page, and leave it for the adults' evening.

A boat is a better fit than a brewery. The free IJ ferries cost nothing, and the canal cruises page compares the paid boats. Ask the operator about prams and age limits before you book.

Is a tour worth it for a family, or should you go on your own?

You can do every pick above on your own, and several cost nothing for children. A booking helps when you want a fixed time, a combined ticket or a refund option. All four picks below are rated 4.2 or higher on GetYourGuide, and three allow free cancellation up to 24 hours before. The canal cruise and NEMO ticket does not, so choose it only when your date is certain.

Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide. The tickets do not include a guide or the A'DAM swing. No listing states a group size, so book small families and large families the same way, and check the page for the date you want.

Key Takeaway Children enter the Rijksmuseum free up to 18 and the Van Gogh Museum free under 18, so a family of two adults and two children under 18 pays for two tickets at each museum.

The Best Travel Destinations' count of GetYourGuide listings for the Amsterdam area in October 2026 found 19 entry tickets under €20 per person among 386 listings. Prices move, so compare the booking page on your date.

Where to stay in Amsterdam with children

No official page ranks Amsterdam neighbourhoods for families, so this guide gives walking distances and nothing more. Conscious Hotel Vondelpark is a hotel on Overtoom about a 5-minute walk from Vondelpark, with a restaurant, a bar and bikes to rent. It is rated 9.2 by 129 reviewers on Trip.com.

Sir Albert Hotel is a boutique hotel on Albert Cuypstraat in De Pijp, within a 10-minute walk of the Van Gogh Museum and Museum Square. It is rated 9.4 by 122 reviewers on Trip.com. For more areas, see where to stay in Amsterdam.

Can children ride a taxi without a car seat?

Children under 3 do not need a car seat in a taxi or bus, says the Dutch government. The page lists no taxi exception for older children, and its general rule is that children up to 1.35 m travel in an approved child seat. It names one other exemption, for medical reasons. So if your child is 3 or older and under 1.35 m, bring a seat or ask the taxi firm to supply one when you book.

No official page that we could open says whether Amsterdam is easy with a pram. The Upside Down terms say the venue has limited access for strollers and no space outside to park them. The NEMO, Rijksmuseum and IJ ferry pages do not mention prams, so ask each venue before you go.