The Willet-Holthuysen House

The imposing Willet-Holthuysen House is situated in the center of Amsterdam. This double mansion on the Herengracht contains many period rooms. Its beautiful salons are in the style of Louis XIV, and the garden is symmetrically designed as a French formal garden.

The Amsterdam Museum will hold exhibitions with work by contemporary makers and collectors in these Romantic period rooms.

During spring and summer of 2022, works by painter Maaike Schoorel created especially for our museum will be on display. An exhibition curated by actor, poet, and collector Ramsey Nasr will follow in autumn.

The house takes its name from the married couple who lived there at the end of the 19th century, Abraham Willet and Louisa Holthuysen. They collected a large amount of art and objects, and also designed the period rooms. Even then, such splendor was considered a reminder of the Romantic past. The period rooms were the perfect way for the couple to share their taste and wealth with others.

Upon their deaths, the couple left their collection and house behind with the intention that it would be turned into a museum. More than a hundred years later, the Willet-Holthuysen House is still open to the public. It currently serves as an additional location of the Amsterdam Museum.

From May 7th of 2022 you can see work specially made for The Willet-Holthuysen House by painter Maaike Schoorel. An exhibition will follow in the autumn, curated by actor/poet/collector Ramsey Nasr.

Guided tours of Huis Willet-Holthuysen are organised on request. You learn more about this special building and its residents. You hear about the life of the Willet-Holthuysen couple, the last residents of the monumental building, but also about the daily activities of the servants. The museum educators bring the period rooms of the canal house to life and take you along the stately ballroom, the monumental staircase and the rich art collection of Abraham Willet. If the weather is fine, a short introduction to the canal garden is part of the tour, after which you can explore it on your own. Coffee and tea are available in the historic kitchen of the canal house.

Duration: approximately 1 hour Cost: € 70 per 15 persons (excluding VAT and entrance fee/max. 30 persons per hour)

Groepsbezoeken kun je reserveren via boekingen@amsterdammuseum.nl

Maximaal 15 personen per groep, bij schoolklassen minimaal 2 begeleiders per groep.

The Willet-Holthuysen House is located on the Herengracht. The Amsterdam canals belong to the UNESCO World Heritage. Unfortunately, the historical building is not accessible to wheelchair users and scootmobiles due to the many stairs and lack of a lift. We are currently investigating the possibilities of making The Willet-Holthuysen House more accessible for everyone.