Stedelijk Museum Tickets 2026: Prices, Hours & What to See
The Stedelijk holds the largest modern art collection in the Netherlands. Tickets cost €22.50, under 19 enters free, and the audio guide is included. Here's what to know before you go.
The Stedelijk is the museum your neighbours on Museumplein overshadow. The Rijksmuseum gets the school groups, the Van Gogh Museum gets the queues, and the Stedelijk gets the people who actually like modern art. It holds 90,000 objects — paintings, photography, design, video — from the 1870s to now. Mondrian, Malevich, Matisse, Warhol, Karel Appel, Marlene Dumas. The building itself is half 19th-century villa, half glass-and-steel "bathtub" that locals still argue about.
In 3 minutes, you'll know:
- What tickets cost and what's included
- The works worth seeking out (and the rooms most visitors skip)
- How to fit the Stedelijk into a Museumplein morning
- Whether the audio guide adds enough to bother
How much are Stedelijk Museum tickets in 2026?
Tickets cost €22.50 for adults. Students and CJP holders pay €12.50. Under 19 enters free. The audio guide is included in every ticket — no extra charge, available in six languages.
Museumkaart holders and I Amsterdam City Card holders enter free. Both still need to book online.
Where to book
Our take: Same €22.50, same audio guide — but GYG lets you cancel 24h before. Safer pick if Amsterdam plans shift.
What should you see at the Stedelijk?
The Mondrian sequence. The Stedelijk owns enough of his work to trace the full evolution: early landscapes, the transitional compositions, and the pure grids of primary colour. Seeing them in order is more revealing than any single painting.
The Malevich collection. The largest outside Russia. His Black Square changed what a painting could be. The Stedelijk holds key works from every period, including the Suprematist compositions that still look radical a century later.
The Matisse cut-out. The Parakeet and the Mermaid takes up an entire wall. Late Matisse, when he could barely hold scissors. One of the most joyful works in Amsterdam.
The Karel Appel ceiling. In the museum café, look up. The CoBrA founder painted the ceiling and it's been there since 1951. Most visitors eat lunch under it without noticing.
When is the best time to visit the Stedelijk?
Open daily 10 AM to 6 PM. No late-night openings.
The Stedelijk is the quietest of the three Museumplein museums. Even on busy weekends, the galleries feel spacious. That said, weekday mornings (10 AM-12 PM, Tuesday to Thursday) are the calmest.
Unlike the Van Gogh Museum, the Stedelijk rarely sells out. You can usually book a day or two ahead, even in summer.
What do most visitors wish they knew about the Stedelijk?
The temporary exhibitions can be better than the permanent collection. The Stedelijk programmes ambitious shows that rotate every few months. Check their website before your visit — the current exhibition might be the best reason to go.
The design collection is underrated. Beyond paintings, the Stedelijk holds furniture, graphic design, industrial design, and posters. The design galleries on the ground floor are often empty and genuinely good.
It pairs perfectly with the Van Gogh. Walk out of the Van Gogh's post-Impressionism and into the Stedelijk's modernism. The art picks up chronologically where Van Gogh left off. A 2-minute walk connects them.
The café is solid. Decent food, the Appel ceiling, and a view of Museumplein. Better than most museum cafés in Amsterdam.
- Tickets
- €22.50 adults | €12.50 students | Under 19 free
- Hours
- Daily 10 AM – 6 PM
- Audio guide
- Included free (6 languages)
- Time needed
- 1.5 – 2 hours (3 for modern art fans)
- Best time
- Weekday mornings (rarely crowded)
- Book at
- GetYourGuide (free cancellation) · official site
- Getting there
- Museumplein, tram 2, 5 or 12 to Van Baerlestraat (same stop as Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh)
Frequently asked questions
How much are Stedelijk Museum tickets in 2026?
Adults pay €22.50. Students and CJP holders pay €12.50. Under 19 enters free. Museumkaart and I Amsterdam City Card holders enter free. All tickets include the audio guide.
How long do you need at the Stedelijk Museum?
1.5 to 2 hours for a solid visit covering the permanent collection highlights and one temporary exhibition. If you're a modern art fan who reads everything, budget 3 hours. For a quick overview, 1 hour covers the key works.
Is the Stedelijk Museum worth visiting?
Yes, especially if you like art made in the last 150 years. It holds the world's largest Malevich collection outside Russia, an exceptional Mondrian sequence, and strong contemporary works by Marlene Dumas and Karel Appel. It's also the least crowded of the Museumplein trio.
Can you visit the Stedelijk and Van Gogh Museum in one day?
Easily. They're a 2-minute walk apart. Book the Van Gogh at 9 AM (1.5-2h), then walk to the Stedelijk at 11 AM (1.5-2h). Done by 1 PM. Add the Rijksmuseum at 2 PM if you have the energy.
Does the Stedelijk have a free day?
No regular free admission days. However, under 19 always enters free, and Museumkaart holders (€75/year, Dutch residents) get free access. The I Amsterdam City Card also includes entry.
The Stedelijk is the Museumplein museum that rewards the visitor who already knows they like modern art. No queues, free audio guide, and a collection that holds its own against the Tate Modern or the Pompidou. Book Stedelijk tickets on GetYourGuide — same price as official, free cancellation.
Last verified: April 2026