Museum Het Schip is one of Amsterdam’s most distinctive architectural landmarks and a fascinating place to discover how design shaped everyday life in the early twentieth century. Located in the Spaarndammerbuurt, this striking brick housing complex was originally built as social housing for working families and is now a museum that tells the story of progressive urban planning, craftsmanship and social ideals. A visit offers both architectural beauty and insight into how Amsterdam once reimagined housing for its citizens.
The Amsterdam School
Museum Het Schip is the most famous example of the Amsterdam School, an expressive architectural movement that combined bold shapes, sculptural brickwork and decorative details with strong social ambition. Designed by architect Michel de Klerk, the complex shows how architecture was used to improve living conditions while also creating beauty in everyday surroundings. Visitors can explore original workers’ interiors and learn how this movement influenced housing, furniture and urban design across the Netherlands.
Inside Museum Het Schip, visitors can step into a faithfully reconstructed workers’ home from the 1920s and explore the beautifully restored former post office, one of the architectural highlights of the complex. Guided tours reveal expressive brickwork, sculptural details and clever design solutions that made this social housing project both practical and inspiring. Together with exhibitions about urban development and everyday life in early twentieth-century Amsterdam, the visit offers a rare opportunity to experience how architecture, craftsmanship and social ideals came together in one remarkable neighbourhood.
Museum het Schip: A Masterclass in Architecture, Craftsmanship, and Social Housing
Discover the masterpiece of the Amsterdam School: a unique journey through early 20th-century architecture and idealism.
Museum Het Schip includes:
- The "Worker’s Palace" masterpiece — explore the world’s most iconic example of the Amsterdam School, where social housing was transformed into a breathtaking work of art.
- Expressive brickwork & organic shapes — marvel at the waves of red brick, decorative towers, and whimsical details that make this building look more like a ship than a housing block.
- The Post Office time capsule — step back into 1920 in the perfectly preserved post office, featuring original Art Deco interiors and unique blue-and-white tiling.
- Craftsmanship & "Total Art" — discover how every detail, from the custom-designed clocks and furniture to the wrought-iron lamps, was crafted to create a unified aesthetic experience.
- Historical worker’s dwellings — take a peek inside an original 1920s apartment to see how the "revolution in living" provided light, air, and dignity to the working class.
- The Tower of Michel de Klerk — admire the famous brickwork spire up close, a masterpiece of form over function that defines the building's silhouette.
A visit to Museum Het Schip typically lasts 1.5 to 2 hours. This includes the 45-minute guided tour and time to explore the exhibitions and iconic architecture at your own pace.
The "Useless" Tower as a Political Statement
The iconic tower by Michel de Klerk is purely decorative and serves no practical function. At the time, this was highly controversial: critics found it scandalous that government funds for social housing were spent on "useless" ornamentation. However, the architects believed that nothing was too good for the working class; they deserved as much beauty in their daily lives as the wealthy did in their palaces.
Prices
Prices are subject to change. Combo deal prices are based on adult rates, so prices for children may be lower. Free admission for: ICOM / Rembrandt Card, City Pass (Stadspas), I amsterdam City Card, VriendenLoterij VIP Card, Museum Card
Opening hours
Museum Het Schip is open six days a week
| Monday | closed |
| Tuesday | 11:00 – 17:00 |
| Wednesday | 11:00 – 17:00 |
| Thursday | 11:00 – 17:00 |
| Friday | 11:00 – 17:00 |
| Saturday | 11:00 – 17:00 |
| Sunday | 11:00 – 17:00 |
For current opening hours, please visit the Museum Het Schip official website; you can find them at the bottom of the page.
Museum Het Schip
Oostzaanstraat 451013 WG Amsterdam
- +31 (0)20 686 8595
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This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - Museum Het Schip
How to get there:
- Walking: 12 minutes from Westerpark
- Bicycle: 9 minutes cycling from Amsterdam Central Station
- Bus: 22 or 48 to Spaarndammerstraat + 5-minute walk
- Tram: 13 to Zoutkeetsgracht + 19-minute walk
- Train: to Amsterdam Centraal, from there, take bus 22 or 48 to Spaarndammerstraat + 5-minute walk
- Car: Paid street parking nearby; parking garages are a 20-minute walk away. Visit the Museum Het Schip website for pricing and P+R options.
Accessibility: The main building has an accessible entrance, lift, wheelchair-accessible toilet, and loans wheelchairs and seated walking sticks.The old post office is easy to visit by wheelchair, but parts of the guided tour, such as the reconstructed working-class home and historic apartment, are inaccessible due to the 1920s architecture. Panels and videos are at suitable heights, with visual support for deaf or hard of hearing visitors. Full accessibility remains limited by the historic building, though improvements continue where possible.
Hotels near Museum Het Schip
WestCord Art Hotel
Spaarndammerdijk 302
1013 ZX Amsterdam
0,4 km
Conscious Hotel Westerpark
Haarlemmerweg 10
1014 BE Amsterdam
0,4 km
The July - Boat & Co
Revaleiland 500
1014 ZG Amsterdam
0,7 km
YAYS Amsterdam Salthouse Canal
Zoutkeetsgracht 116
1013 LC Amsterdam
1,0 km
YAYS Amsterdam Prince Island
Bickersgracht 1
1013 LE Amsterdam
1,2 km
Moxy Amsterdam Houthavens
Danzigerkade 175
1013 AP Amsterdam
1,2 km
Last updated: April 2026