Amsterdam Museums - Fanciful and Unique

Het Grachtenhuis-Museum of Canals

Anne Frank Museum

Dutch Resistance Museum

Museum of Bags and Purses

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Amsterdam's Museums- Fanciful and Unique

Understanding how a town can be built on reclaimed land is deftly explained at the Het Grachtenhuis museum, a delightful collection of exhibits. For a truly unusual experience, the Museum of Bags and Purses is a three-floor education in the history of accessories.

Het Grachtenhuis

Museum of the Amsterdam Canals

Amsterdam is one of the best-planned cities of northern Europe, built on reclaimed land with careful attention paid to blending functionality and style through major expansions in the 17th century. The story is brilliantly told at the Het Grachtenhuis Museum of the Amsterdam Canals, making it an excellent first stop for visitors to understand the city before they start exploring. This one-of-a-kind museum portrays the city's development and history through three-dimensional and multi-media presentations.

One creative attraction is a doll house-sized canal house peopled by 3-D holograms of high-class families at home over the course of 400 years. Watch as they carry on the daily activities of their era. Equally enthralling is the digital diorama display of the growth and overpopulation of the city. Each room of this small museum holds its own fascination. Add in the beautiful courtyard garden, the conference room where a lively discussion by early city planners plays out, as well as several diverse exhibits and this is a great first introduction to a city that has so much to offer.

Mouse over pictures for more information, or click the set to view as a slideshow.

Canal house with 3-D inhabitants

Dancing holograms

City growth diorama

House gardens

Museum of Handbags and Purses

UPDATE: Sadly this museum closed its doors due to the coronavirus of 2019, but it can still live on and entertain with a virtual walk-through on this page.

Satin, leather, cloth, metal, wood, Swarovski crystals, beads, tortoiseshell and even old postcards all have something in common in this museum - any of these materials can, and have been, turned into a handbag or purse.

Also known as the Tassen Museum, exhibits range from the functional and practical realm to the bizarre and curious on the other.

At the Museum of Bags and Purses, visitors learn how this accessory evolved from bags sewn onto a belt to the ornate and funky pocketbooks on display.

Bags date back to the 16th century and continue through to current day. Clearly the only rule for bagmaking is there are no rules. Among the more distinctive displays include: a cupcake-shaped bag covered in crystals, a clutch shaped as the Normandie (a gift to first-class passengers on the luxury cruise ship's maiden voyage), a box that could double as a desk, a champagne bottle and ice bucket; even a London taxicab!

There is no way to go through this unusual museum without cracking a smile or two. Everyone - male or female - marvels at the oddities on display, and can't help but wonder about the bag's owner!

Mouse over bags for more information, or click the set to view as a slideshow.