Things to Do in Amsterdam Indoors: Seven Rainy Day Picks

1. WONDR in Noord: play space for adults and families

WONDR Experience is the biggest hands-on indoor stop on this list, and the official site says it is aimed at adults of all ages. Children are welcome with an adult, and the ticket page allows up to three children per adult. The site lists the address as Meeuwenlaan 88 in Amsterdam Noord.

To get there from Amsterdam Centraal, take metro line 52 toward Noord and get off at Noorderpark. WONDR's directions put the ride at 2 minutes and the walk from the stop at about 5 minutes. A free ferry to IJplein is the other way, and the site puts that ride at 5 minutes. From Museumplein, walk to Vijzelgracht metro station and ride line 52 toward Noord for about 6 minutes.

A visit takes about 90 minutes, and the ticket page says you can stay as long as you want. WONDR is open Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 19:00, with the last time slot at 17:30. At weekends it opens at 9:30 and closes at 20:00, with the last slot at 18:30. In school vacations it opens every day from 9:30 to 20:00. An adult ticket (11 and older) costs €26.50, a child ticket (2 to 10) €18.50 and a senior ticket (65 and older) €24.50, and each adds a €0.50 booking fee.

The WONDR Experience ticket with the SpongeBob special costs from €24 per person. Wondr Experience runs it, and it is rated 4.5 from 5,545 reviews. The ticket includes entry, access to the Galaxy Cafe, use of lockers, and photos and videos sent to your email. Baby strollers, luggage, large bags and tripods are not allowed. Two locations are shown, depending on the option you pick, so check the one on your ticket. There is no pickup, and the listing gives no group size. All rooms can be visited, but some activities cannot be entered, so the venue is only partly accessible. You can cancel for free up to 24 hours before.

WONDR is loud and playful, with confetti showers and karaoke, so skip it if you want a quiet museum hour.

2. Rijksmuseum on Museumplein: the safest rainy day museum

The Rijksmuseum is open every day from 9:00 to 17:00, including all holidays, according to its FAQ. An adult ticket costs €25 (€26.50 from 2027), and visitors up to 18 enter free. Booking a starting time is necessary, and that applies to everyone, Museumkaart holders included.

If you hold an Amsterdam City Card, the museum's FAQ lists entry as free. You still book a start time. The Van Gogh Museum is not part of that card, as the next entry explains.

The address is Museumstraat 1. The museum's directions say metro line 52 takes you from Amsterdam Centraal to Vijzelgracht station, and from there it is less than a 10-minute walk. Several tram lines also stop close by. There is a free, supervised cloakroom for bags, umbrellas and daypacks, which helps on a wet day. You cannot step outside and come back in, with a few exceptions. An audio tour costs €6.50 per person, added when you reserve.

Free and cheap options are limited. The sources checked for this guide list no free indoor sight for adults. The cheapest ticket here is Fabrique des Lumières, from €18. Visitors up to 18 enter the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum free. City Card holders enter the Rijksmuseum and NEMO free, and Museumkaart holders enter the Van Gogh Museum free after booking a start time. No official page checked for this guide lists other free indoor sights.

The Rijksmuseum entry ticket costs from €27 per person. GetYourGuide Tours & Tickets GmbH sells it, the listing marks it as an official ticket, and it is rated 4.68 from 33,903 reviews. It includes museum entry, the permanent exhibition, the cloakroom and the booking fee. A guided tour and the audio tour are not included, and the listing gives no group size. Entry is allowed up to 15 minutes after the time printed on it, and you can stay until closing. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before.

3. Van Gogh Museum: tickets with a start time only

The Van Gogh Museum sells tickets online only, and the museum's ticket page says all visitors need a ticket with a start time. Without one, you cannot visit. Read more on the Van Gogh Museum page.

Adults pay €25, and the price rises to €26 on 1 January 2027. Visitors under 18 enter free. Museumkaart holders also enter free, but they must reserve a free ticket with a start time online. The museum has not been part of the I amsterdam City Card since 1 June 2022, and I amsterdam's card FAQ confirms that the Van Gogh Museum and the Anne Frank House are not covered.

All tickets include the permanent collection and the current temporary exhibitions. Opening hours change through the year, so check the museum's hours page for your date.

Pro Tip Book the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum for different mornings. Both need a start time, and the Rijksmuseum does not let you leave and re-enter.

4. Ripley's Believe It or Not! on Dam Square: four floors of oddities

Ripley's Believe It or Not! Amsterdam is a good wet-day stop in the centre, and the listing describes four floors of interactive games, illusions and strange exhibits. Its own site gives the address as Dam 21 and shows only today's hours, so check them for your date. The site does not say how long a visit takes.

The Ripley's ticket costs from €19 per person. Tours & Tickets runs it, and it is rated 4.5 from 5,435 reviews. It includes fast-track entry, free Wi-Fi and access to the top-floor cafe, which looks over Dam Square. Food and drinks are not included. The listing shows Dam 19 as the meeting point, and both numbers are on the square.

There is a child ticket for ages 5 to 14, children under 4 are free, and all children under 14 must come with an adult. The venue has a lift for wheelchair users. You can cancel for free up to 24 hours before.

5. Madame Tussauds and The Amsterdam Dungeon: two shows near Dam Square

Madame Tussauds and The Amsterdam Dungeon are the two big indoor shows near Dam Square, and one ticket covers both. Madame Tussauds is at Dam 20, and its FAQ says an average visit takes about an hour. You should book a time slot in advance, and there is no cloakroom for large bags. Strollers cannot be stored.

The Amsterdam Dungeon is at Rokin 78, and its FAQ says a tour takes about 60 minutes. A new tour starts every 15 minutes in Dutch or English, and the time on your ticket is the time you can enter the queue. The Dungeon recommends a minimum age of 10 and says the show is not suitable for people with claustrophobia.

A combo saves money. The Dungeon's price page lists the two together online from €29, against €52 when you buy them separately.

The Madame Tussauds and Amsterdam Dungeon combo ticket costs from €29 per person. The Amsterdam Dungeon runs it, and it is rated 4.53 from 919 reviews. Together the two take 2.5 hours, and the ticket includes a live guide at the Dungeon. Pictures are not included. Your Dungeon time slot is booked automatically, and you pick the Madame Tussauds slot through a link on your ticket. Children under 10, people with claustrophobia and people with epilepsy are advised against it. Free cancellation applies up to 24 hours before.

6. Fabrique des Lumières in Westerpark: art projected on the walls

Fabrique des Lumières is an immersive art centre where paintings are projected on the walls and floor, and the current show covers Da Vinci, Raphael and Michelangelo. The address is Pazzanistraat 37. I amsterdam lists the Renaissance Masters show daily from 11:00 to 17:00, with an English voiceover and English and Dutch subtitles. The page adds that hours may change, and a second show, Dutch Masters, needs its own ticket.

The venue pages checked give no tram or bus number. The ticket listing says it is easily reachable by public transport, so type the address into a journey planner.

The Fabrique des Lumières Renaissance ticket costs from €18 per person. Fabrique des Lumières runs it, and it is rated 4.7 from 9,608 reviews. The exhibition lasts about 55 minutes, and you can stay longer. Entry is timed, and lockers are included. A guide is not included. Strollers, food and drinks, luggage and large bags are not allowed. It is not suitable for children under 3 or people with epilepsy. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before.

7. NEMO Science Museum: hands-on science for children

NEMO Science Museum at Oosterdok 2 is the best indoor pick on this list for children, and its FAQ says it suits all ages. Some activities are only for visitors aged 6 and over, and children under 13 may visit only with an adult.

NEMO is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10:00 to 17:30. It also opens on Mondays during school holidays, on public holidays and from April to September. A ticket costs €21.50 per person for visitors from 4 years old. It has a start time, but you can stay as long as you want, and arriving early or late is not a problem. Museumkaart, Stadspas and I amsterdam City Card holders enter free, and they should book online first.

The page gives no walking time from Centraal, so use a journey planner with the address. No GetYourGuide ticket is picked for NEMO here, because the museum sells its own.

How to choose things to do in Amsterdam indoors

Choose by who is coming and how much time you have. The Best Travel Destinations' count of GetYourGuide listings for Amsterdam in October 2026 found 25 entry tickets to indoor sights, from museums and WONDR to immersive art shows and Ripley's. Seven of them are in this guide, and the table sets them side by side.

A rainy day in a museum city goes best when the ticket with a start time is booked first and the rest fits around it.

Key Takeaway Pick the timed sights first. The Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and NEMO all use start times, and the Rijksmuseum asks even Museumkaart holders to book one.

How often does it rain in Amsterdam?

Amsterdam gets rain on about 133 days a year, counting every day with at least 1 mm. That is the long-term average for Schiphol from 1991 to 2020, published by KNMI, the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute. December has the most rain days with 14.1, and April has the fewest with 8.6.

Even the driest month has about eight rain days, so keep one indoor plan ready for any trip. A rain jacket helps for the walk between sights.

Do you need to book timed tickets for indoor sights in Amsterdam?

Yes, for the big museums, and it is smart for the rest. The Rijksmuseum asks everyone to book a starting time, and the Van Gogh Museum does not let you in without a ticket with a start time. NEMO and Madame Tussauds work with time slots too. The Amsterdam Dungeon starts a tour every 15 minutes, and the time on your ticket is when you join the queue.

WONDR says online booking guarantees your spot and recommends booking ahead at weekends and in school vacations. Its listing warns that tickets are likely to sell out. Fabrique des Lumières sells timed tickets as well. For Ripley's, the ticket is valid on the date you pick, and you enter at the time you choose.

If you only have one day, book the museum slot first and fit the rest around it.

Is a tour worth it on a rainy day, or should you go on your own?

You can do all of these on your own, because every sight sells tickets directly. The listing prices are "from" prices, so compare them with each sight's own price for your date. A booked ticket is worth it when you want a fixed date and time, free cancellation up to 24 hours before, and one booking for two shows. The combo ticket is the clearest saving, at €29 against €52.

All five picks are rated 4.5 or higher on GetYourGuide, and the Rijksmuseum ticket has the most reviews, with 33,903. Wondr Experience, Tours & Tickets, The Amsterdam Dungeon and Fabrique des Lumières run their listings, and GetYourGuide Tours & Tickets GmbH sells the Rijksmuseum ticket.

None of the five listings states a group size, because each is an entry ticket and not a guided group. None includes pickup, so you meet at the address in the table. Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide.