On a recent trip to Amsterdam, I was lucky enough to visit the recently reopened Rijksmuseum. Located in Museum Square, the museum closed for renovations in 2003. Renovations were set to complete in five years, though it ended up taking 10, and the museum reopened in April 2013. It only took seven years to build the museum when it was first constructed. 

Architect Pierre Cuypers was responsible for the Rijksmuseum’s original design. He believed the museum should be a place of learning. Upon entering the building, he wanted patrons to feel as though they were having a religious experience. Stained glass windows of the saints and elaborate cloth paintings depicting Dutch history cover the walls of the Rijksmuseum. Over the years, many rooms were painted white in favor of a more modern look. The main challenge of the renovation was to strip the building of these later additions, restoring it to Cuypers’ original design. The head architects for the renovation were Antonio Cruz and Antonio Ortiz from Spain. Cruz and Ortiz created a beautiful open atrium, brought the building up to date with climate-control and security features and created an Asian Pavilion to house the museum’s Asiatic collection. These, among other improvements, bring the past and present together.

The Rijksmuseum’s collection includes 8,000 pieces of art and historical objects telling the story of Dutch history from the Middle Ages up through the year 2000, all housed within 80 rooms. One of the most popular pieces is Rembrandt’sThe Night Watch.

Before your visit, download the Rijksmuseum app to explore the museum on your own. Guided tours highlighting various themes run several times a day. We visited early in the day, and by the time we left the museum the line winded well out onto the street. Purchase e-tickets on the museum’s website to avoid the long line.

— Katie Skrzek, digital media manager