Anne Frank House (Anne Frank Huis)

Visiting the Anne Frank House is a profound experience, offering insight into the life and story of Anne Frank and the harrowing times she lived in. The self-guided tour through the Secret Annex—concealed by a revolving bookcase—provides an intimate look into where Otto Frank and his family hid for two years during World War II, and where the young girl wrote the world-famous “Diary of Anne Frank.”

In addition to highlights like the Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank House is one of Amsterdam’s top destinations, and tickets often sell out. You must pre-purchase a ticket for a particular time slot to visit. Consider booking a wider walking tour through the Jewish Quarter to explore other historic spots in addition to the Anne Frank House.

• Anne Frank House tickets must be purchased in advance; book tickets online on the museum’s website.

• Anne Frank House tours are an emotional experience, and appropriate solemnity should be observed.

• Visits tend to take about an hour, and a free audio tour is available in nine languages.

• Only the modern part of the museum is wheelchair accessible; the secret annex is not.

• If you have time, stop in next door, at Prinsengracht 265-267, to see temporary exhibits.

The Anne Frank House (Anne Frank Huis) is in the center of Amsterdam, at Prinsengracht 263 – 267. It takes about 20 minutes to walk from Amsterdam Central Station to the museum. Trams 13, 14, and 17, and buses 170, 172 and 174, stop nearby, at the Westermarkt stop.

The Anne Frank House is open daily, except for Yom Kippur, with extended evening hours during the summer when many tourists are visiting Amsterdam. Lines can be long at peak times, especially in the early afternoon, when you may have to wait an hour or more to get in. To avoid the crowds, arrive at the museum entrance either early or late in the day. Keep in mind that last entry is 30 minutes before closing time and the line closes earlier. Depending on how busy it is, this can be as early as two hours before closing time.

To get a clearer picture of Anne Frank’s life, both before World War II and during the Netherlands’ occupation by Nazi Germany, explore other important sites in the Jewish Quarter (Jodenbuurt). A guided walking tour focused on Anne Frank’s life visits her family home and school, while an Amsterdam canal cruise along the Canal Ring (Grachtengordel) gives you a unique perspective from the water, and a self-guided audio tour lets you learn about the sights at your own pace.

No, it’s not hard to secure an admission ticket to the Anne Frank House if you book ahead. However, last-minute tickets in peak season can be hard to come by. You can buy tickets through the official website—a new batch is released every Tuesday at 10am CET, six weeks in advance.

It usually takes around an hour to experience the Anne Frank House. While the museum uses timed admission tickets, once inside you can stay as long as you wish. If you also book tickets to the 30-minute introductory program, you’ll need closer to 1.5 hours for your visit.

No, you can’t walk into Anne Frank House if you’ve not booked ahead. The house has limited capacity and is very popular, so tickets are only available in advance. All tickets are issued on a timed-entry basis, which helps keep crowds at bay. Note that children also need tickets.

Anne Frank House uses a timed-entry system, so crowds are fairly well-distributed throughout the day. There’s also a limit to the number of people that can visit at any one time. However, if you want to avoid crowds, try to book your visit for either the first or last slot of the day.

Yes, it’s definitely worth visiting the Anne Frank House when you’re in Amsterdam—the museum gives insight into what it was like to live in hiding during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. It tells the story of Frank, her family, and the Holocaust in a poignant and respectful way.

Before you visit Anne Frank House, be aware that you’ll need to climb steep stairs to access all of the rooms. You’ll be presented with historical details that many people find distressing, so the experience might not be suitable for younger children. You can only take small bags inside