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- Rijksmuseum Frans Hals – Strokes of Genius Exhibition
New
1/11
After the successful Vermeer exhibition in 2023, it is now time for the next not-to-miss Rijksmuseum exhibition focusing on prolific Dutch artist Frans Hals.
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- See around 50 key works by Frans Hals
- Exhibition on display from 16 February – 9 June 2024
- See works normally on display at other institutions
- Includes access to the entire museum
Children
Child ticket for 0-18 year olds
Languages
The audio tour is available English and Dutch
Guided tours are available for the hearing-impaired (Dutch and English sign), sight-impaired, and sensory friendly
Ticket information
Ticket directly available on smartphone
Tickets cannot be rescheduled or cancelled
More information
With this ticket you will first visit the Frans Hals Exhibition, after which you can visit the rest of the museum
The Rijksmuseum has her own privacy policy, terms and conditions, and guidelines for a safe visit. Please review them before visiting the Rijksmuseum.
For questions about the product, please contact hello@toursandtickets.nl
Accessibility
- Wheelchair friendly
- Free access to bathroom
- With audio description
Rijksmuseum
Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Public Transport
The nearest stops are Vijzelgracht (metro 52 and tram 24) and Museumplein (tram 2 & 12).
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An unprecedented collection of Frans Hals’ oeuvre
The Frans Hals – Strokes of Genius exhibition brings together around fifty key works from Frans Hals’ extensive oeuvre. This means that around a quarter of the surviving paintings by Frans Hals will be on display at the Rijksmuseum. The exhibition includes several works that normally never leave their permanent homes.
The Laughing Cavalier will travel to Amsterdam from the Wallace Collection in London. The Banquet of the Officers of the St. George Civic Guard will make its first trip outside of the city of Haarlem, where it is usually on display at the dedicated Frans Hals Museum. Catharina Hooft with her Nurse and Malle Babbe are on special loan from the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin, the Fruit and Vegetable Seller from a private collection in Bridgenorth, and the Family Group in a Landscape from the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid.
Explore Frans Hals’ influential style
Frans Hals’ painting style set the standard for many others who followed, so much so that it can be easy to forget that he was the founder. His distinctive, freewheeling painting style takes centre stage at the Strokes of Genius exhibition at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The exhibition takes you through his career to see how he developed his style, while also painting you a picture of live in the 17th-century.
One-by-one, each painting shows you how he broke with convention and gained confidence as he paved his own way in the art world. His style gained Frans Hals praise and prestige, and a reputation as a forerunner of impressionism. This exhibition on the Dutch master Frans Hals is a must-visit when you are in Amsterdam in the spring of 2024.
See more Dutch masters at the Rijksmuseum
The Rijksmuseum is the national museum of the Netherlands, with a collection spanning over 800 years of history. After visiting the Frans Hals exhibition you can visit the rest of the museum, which is included in your ticket. Other Dutch masters on display include Vincent van Gogh, Rembrandt van Rijn, and Johannes Vermeer.
210 Reviews
4.3
Average rating from
Tripadvisor
bobbyripe
One of the great museums! Must visit.
For such a large museum I believe you need a curated visit. We hired a 2:30-hour tour from Context Travel that included the highlights of the museum. We were there right before opening time at 9:00 a.m. - they take care of pre-purchasing the tickets - so we were able, for the first hour or so, to enjoy the artwork without a crowd. Afterwards, it got quite unbearable. However, it is one of the world’s great museums so it is a must visit. Highly recommended.
Apr 23, 2024ubud138
must see museum in Amsterdam, one day is not enough, very fair for teens (free until 18)
one of the best museums obviously. we used the free app and used it ad we liked, as the itinerary with the app was confusing . wunderful expositions including the asian exhibit. a must in Amsterdam
Apr 21, 2024Ariyya
Gorgeous collection!
This is the museum to visit in Amsterdam. Both the building itself and the art it houses are beautiful. The collection of Dutch golden age paintings is gorgeous, everything from Rembrandt to Vermeer to Van Gogh. There are so many other artists worth admiring as well. It also has plenty of artifacts like furniture, glass, etc to see. The quality of its art is comparable to the Louvre. Don't miss it.
Apr 21, 2024Durhamprophoto
Architecturally stunning with beautiful collections
One of the pre-eminent museums in the world, it's a must-see/do while in Amsterdam. The museum is gorgeous and the collections are beautifully presented. There is so much more than what you think about - spend a lot of time in the Honours Hall, admire the stained glass windows, and wander through other exhibits such as boats and ships, aircraft, and Delft. Lockers are free since you cannot carry your bag through the museum.
Apr 21, 2024mariedB1530BN
Must visit
Now this place doenst need a review, but it really deserves. The place is si beautiful and all the staff so good, calm and helpful. Inside museum you have food shops and coffe. In rainy dai, which is normal in Amsterdam, you can stay inside the museum. I got 200 photoes in this place,so amaizing.
Apr 21, 2024tiiasusannan
Lovely museum
I did take lot of pictures, the museum was so beautiful. There was a lot of people also, so go in the morning. Then there was just little bit of those but after 12 it was almost chaos. But did love the museum.
Apr 21, 2024JanLinksGroningen
Mind blowing
One of the most beautiful museums in the worrld. It can compare with museums in Paris, Londen, Florence, New York, Berlin, St Petersburgz etc
Apr 20, 2024JS19772017
Incredible museum
World class museum. Only a very short visit and there are so many highlights to see. Rembrandt pairings are worth the visit alone. Enjoyed seeing lots of naval history paintings and artefacts. The art library and dolls houses are unique things to see.
Apr 18, 2024desifoto
Overly crowded and not many famous pieces of art
It was so crowded. Too crowded. There were tons of school trips going on. I was surprised that they didn’t have many famous pieces of art. I figured they would, but nope. The building is gorgeous and so are the grounds around it.
Apr 17, 2024itstewart
Classic Museum
Classic Museum learning about the past! Definitely a must go! Best time to go is to get reservations early or toward closing to avoid crowds!
Apr 17, 2024Tourist77927
One of the great museums of the earth.
One of the great museums of the world. The Frans Hals exhibit was well organized and explained. The great Dutch Masters Rembrandt and Vermeer were well presented. I only wished more visiters were able just to look instead of jostling to take pictures with their cell phones.
Apr 13, 2024Familytravelmaven
Long lines and very crowded. Book ahead.
It’s packed for a reason… the quantity and quality of the art. Unfortunately the audio guide wasn’t working and so we didn’t know how to visit effectively. We didn’t get the story of Rembrandt nor appreciate the collection as much. The lines are long so arrive about 30 min prior to your scheduled entrance time.
Apr 13, 2024Traveler796081
Give Yourself Enough Time To See It All!
It has the best collection of the Dutch Masters. It is crowded and you need to be patient while touring. We only allowed 2 hours for our visit and we could have easily spent all day. We did a guided tour and it as worth it since she could show us the highlights since our time was limited. They had both lockers and a cloak room to check your belongings. The building itself is a work of art and the gardens surrounding the museum are beautiful.
Apr 10, 2024BrownianMotion
Good museum for Dutch history
I learnt a lot about mediaeval Europe, and the connections between art and religion. Vermeer and Van Gogh pictures were amazing. The basement Asian art was nice surprise. Appreciated their honesty about colonialism and slavery behind most of the artefacts.
Apr 4, 2024myom624
The Night Watch, The Milkmaid & also The Waterloo :)
With the "main purpose" at this museum being to see Rembrandt's The Night Watch & Vermeer's The Milkmaid (quite likely the two "greatest masterpiece paintings" of the Age of Renaissance by Dutch artists), I would just say that it was a "very satisfactory" visit having seen both on the "3rd level" and yes also conveniently "not far apart" from one another with the huge-sized The Night Watch definitely unmissable (for a "sizeable crowd" in front at the time and which likely is always the case during the Museum's opening hours) at the far end of the very first room on the level after coming up the staircase and entering from the corridor, and where "on the left" while heading to the far end is the much-smaller-sized The Milkmaid which is actually quite easy to miss just due to its size (and which actually took me some effort to find only after coming back to that area the second time just before going back down from the level). And also should not be missed (apart from the two great ones as mentioned above) but on the "2nd level" is the great-sized scene (similar to that of The Night Watch) depicting the Battle of Waterloo with the Duke of Wellington on horseback & the wounded Dutch Prince on the ground featured in the painting and which actually is "my favorite" seen at this museum (yes "more so" than by the Rembrandt & the Vermeer as mentioned above although not getting to learn at the time the artist of this great masterpiece). And so, with two "sprawling levels" (the 2nd & the 3rd after the 1st which is like a "reception floor"), this museum overall is a great one of the "country's history" as portrayed in its art (mostly in the form of a great number of paintings) but also to see among those paintings are "some significant" number of miscellaneous displays (such as religion-themed sculptures, miniature-but-not-too-small ship models with also paintings of "naval battle scenes" alongside those models, the Dutch-East-Indies exhibit area with some miniature village models & such, and yes also a "sizeable area on 2 levels" which is the Bibliotheca with many bookshelves although just to see from its entrance). And with the e-ticket being the "only option" to enter the Museum, I bought mine for the 12-pm slot just outside the entrance at about 10 30 am and while waiting had my breakfast at the lovely restaurant called Hansel & Gretel located at like "an intersection of 2 canals" just in the vicinity of the front side of the Museum. And also, at just a 10-to-15-minute walk from this museum (to the east which is a "right turn" after coming out) is the Amstel River which seen from above a bridge is a "view of beauty" (with its width quite a bit more than a canal & also with these lovely heritage buildings lined along its "west side") and which for me was another way to enjoy that river after the "canal tour" just the day before (from Prinsengracht to Amstel to Herengracht).
Apr 3, 2024dma1969
Beautiful setting for art.
Lovely to see all the art and the building itself is a work of art! Easily accessible (I was on crutches and had a wheelchair to use) but I noticed they also had portable chairs to borrow. Go early, it was getting crowded by the time we left.
Apr 3, 2024ccpling
A view of Dutch golden age
I visited the museum for 3 hours with a friend. We would have spending more time if we were not too exhausted for the long day of walking. Suggest to visit for at least 3 - 4 hours to cover all corners. If there is of specific interest, you may want to prepare some food / drink. The cafe was pretty crowded to get a seat. It is the home of Dutch masters that we can find Van Gogh and Rembrandt work, besides the history of Dutch and other fine arts. It is located in the museum square that you may consider visit the Van Gogh museum as well.
Apr 3, 2024danmY5870PP
User the map
There is a lot to see. There is an app though we found it confusing and hard work. There is a map with the highlights. This was great. Whiz around and see the most important bits. It shows you the rooms and what's best. Nothing in a room worth seeing - walk straight through
Apr 2, 2024PaulH_Surrey
It is what you expect it to be, great art in a bustling environment
I spent most of the day at the Rijksmuseum from 9.30am to 4.00pm. Be aware they check the date and time of your ticket in the queue outside (two people had the wrong day in front of me and were asked to leave). The queue is not long, nothing like the Louvre or even the National Gallery in London. There are both lockers and cloakrooms freely available after you've come through the ticket check. The staff are nice and helpful, though of course it gets very busy with schools and organised groups you don't tend to get at the smaller galleries. I started with the temporary Frans Hals exhibition which I very much enjoyed and was very quiet as I was there just after opening. One thing I noticed about all the galleries I visited in the Netherlands is that they are 99% Dutch paintings. I know that's an obvious statement about being in the Netherlands, but compared to the Paris and London collections which are much more eclectic don't expect to see many Italian or French paintings here. The vast majority of the permanent collection is Dutch Golden Age, but that is not to say it's boring. The quality is amazing and the Gallery of Honour is wonderful. It's a shame the Nightwatch is behind a big glass screen, but it has to be protected, but the rest of the collection is very accessible and it's fantastic to be able to get so close to Rembrandt's 'Jewish Bride' and Vermeer's 'Little Street'. Of course you can't take food in with you so if you're spending the day here the only option is the restaurant. It didn't take long to get a seat but I didn't realise when ordering a cheese sandwich they would be making the cheese on site. It's the sort of place where they deliver your drink and desert immediately but you then wait half-an-hour for your main. It was nice when it arrived though. I guess that's the nature of the super-galleries. Overall I think you get what you expect with the Rijksmuseum, and that's not a bad thing. It's a superb collection of Dutch Masters in a busy impersonal environment.
Apr 2, 2024Dreamer766811
Worth a visit, lots to see
This is a great place to visit. I spent 4 hours here. Has lots of paintings 😂 included 2/3 Van Gogh, Rembrandts and his students works and of course his ‘night watch’ but there is also Dutch history like armoury (guns swords, knifes) pottery linen/dresses, model boats, sculptures all sorts right up to modern art. Take your own food, the cafe has about 30 seats for hundreds of people so the Q is crazy long! There are also only amount 30 lockers so pack light as you’ll be carrying it all day! Also Q for loos, standard but I discovered on each floor was a toilet no one was using so little tip if you’re desperate or need it for medical reasons? Definitely worth a visit and next door to the Heineken factory so you can combine the 2.
Apr 1, 2024aaronwL9509KY
Amazing museum
Wonderful museum, have been there several times, but when going back it is amazing again. Now with the Frans Hals exhibition something unique!
Mar 29, 2024JamieH767
Fantastic Art
There is something I like about art from the Dutch Masters, especailly Rembrandt, and this place doesn't disappoint. Plenty of painting to see and I could spend a whole day there. The museum is very busy so, sometimes its hard just to stop and appreciate works.
Mar 29, 2024SteveG133
Worth the visit
The museum is worth the entrance money alone for the collections inside, easy to navigate and not too busy. The only downside was The Nightwatch is being restored so is behind glass plenty of other Dutch masters to see though
Mar 29, 2024NNWSLARRY
A do not miss attraction while in Amsterdam
A great museum, I found it more enjoyable than the ones in Paris, maybe because it was not as crowded. There are some famous Dutch masters painting, i.e. "The Night Watch", truly magnificent to see in person, pictures do not do it justice. Luckily our tour guide was able to point out some interesting paintings with a short history of each one. This would be a museum that you would love to have an annual to visit throughout out the year.
Mar 28, 2024522hazelm
Enormous but a must-see place
Very well presented and the building is stunning, both inside and out. There is so much to see, It's a shame visits can't be booked for half the museum at a time, as nobody would be able to get around everything in one day. If it was split in half it could also be half the price? Just a suggestion!
Mar 25, 2024C8152GYvincentv
So proud to be Dutch, when I visit this gem.
So proud to be Dutch, when I visit this gem. It's not just the collection that makes a visit to the Rijksmuseum such a wonderful experience. It's the combination of world-class artworks, historical significance, architectural splendor, interactive exhibits, and cultural importance. Certainly, a museum that has adapted well to the ages. The renovation took 11 years to complete. Finished 10 years ago.
Mar 25, 2024541robt
Pick what you want to see
This muesum is far better than the Van Gogh museum across the way. There is so much to see here - including things that I didn't expect such as model ships. This is a trouble because there is almost too much to see. The audio guide is invaluable, and what is good is that you are not stuck to routes, though you can follow those if you want to. One thing to note is that the cafe was extremely busy when we visited, with a queue just to get a table.
Mar 20, 2024Guide36266696044
Application mobile !
A very good discovery formula with the mobile application which offers a "best of" tour in the museum to see the essential works of this museum
Mar 19, 2024907blaked
Amazing museum, we spent 2 1/2 hours but could have spent all day
As everyone else says, this is an amazing museum with so much stuff that you can barely see in one day. With that said, the app was very difficult to use, and so we ended up not using it. Not sure if the official audio guide from inside the museum would have been better. We got our tickets several weeks in advance for 9 AM, and it was a good thing because the museum got considerably busier by 10 AM or so. Their collection of decorative parts was particularly enjoyable.
Mar 16, 2024TheAndrewNatt
Brilliant day out.
Excellent, well organised gallery & museum. Booking process for tickets easy, meet & greet professional, lockers free, audio guides easy to use and very useful. Cafe brilliant. What’s not to like about this cultural Pearl. You do need to set aside almost a whole day, it really is that big!
Mar 16, 2024renatovwbach
Best museum in town
Best Museum in Amsterdam, great paintings, beautiful place. Easy access, a por of Rembrandts e Vermeers, an unforgetable visiting.
Mar 15, 2024denewton
Always worthwhile
The extra exhibition, included in the normal entrance price, is on Frans Hals and is very good. Spent around 45 minutes in this before moving on to some of the main galleries. Special mention for the Special Exhibitions area which has items including model ships, china, various weaponry .. and was pretty quiet. Well-recommended to visit.
Mar 15, 2024camrena2024
A must see!!!!!!
This is my favorite art musuem (and maybe even museum) I’ve ever been to! It has some of the best art pieces I’ve ever seen ranging across Eurasia, for the Netherlands themselves , all the way to Japan. We also saw the Frans Hal section, which was great, but I think it’s only there for a limited time. You can get lost for hours in that museum, so much art to look at and it’s all so great and you learn a ton too. They also have these little audio headphone things which a lot of people use that you put on and it tells you more information on what you’re looking at. There aren’t just paintings in this museum either, also ship models, sculptures, and old guns to name a few more things. If you’re in Amsterdam, especially if you’re visiting, you GOTTA go to this museum!!!!!!!!
Mar 14, 2024Christel8
Frans Hals exhibition - worth the visit
Another amazing exhibition organized by the Rijksmuseum. This time we visited the exhibition of Frans Hals. We had an audio tour booked and could visit this exhibition on our own which is very convenient. As usual when buying tickets online for this museum, we booked a certain time slot (which was written on the top of our tickets). But when getting to the entrance of the exhibition a very unfriendly and very impolite host of the Rijksmuseum told us that we do not have a time slot and that we had to get one at the reception. We visited the Rijksmuseum already several times before and never experienced this before, also never had a discussion with such a rude person. As a guest of the Rijksmuseum you pay good money for entrance, so some sort of friendliness can be expected.
Mar 12, 2024520lesliew
Lots of Wonderful Artwork
The artwork is amazing. It's a large museum and would likely take two days to tour thoroughly. We oldsters found the audio tour a bit confusing, but interesting to listen to once we figured it out. The cafe was a great place to stop for lunch and recharge.
Mar 9, 2024alexSoCal
A must see
This is an excellent museum of Dutch art with lots of historic artifacts and historic art contexts. I am much more interested in history, and spending 3 hours on its three floors was very illuminating.
Mar 8, 2024asprenkleofadventure
Where the Rembrandt's are...
This museum is a hidden gem in Europe. It doesn't get all the fanfare of the Louvre or the Sensation Overload that one experiences at the British Museum, but it is a wonder all of it's own. The star of this show is Rembrandt's masterpiece 'The Night Watch." That alone is impressive, but this museum has other great works of art that you probably recognize, such as the Milkmaid and Rembrandt's self portrait as Paul. Once you're done admiring all the artwork, enjoy the building itself, which is gorgeous and houses the Art History Library. All the museums in Amsterdam are quite busy and full and they do limit capacity inside, so I recommend you buy your tickets in advance so that you get to visit. The website was quite easy to navigate and we bought the tickets while we were on the train, so by the time we traveled the 30 minutes there and jumped in line, we were in! Plan on 2 hours at least if you really want to look and enjoy...this is a feast for the eyes!
Mar 6, 2024marionl373
Great place to spend some hours looking and experiencing beautiful art
It was wonderful. So much to see in every corner. Well presented. . Lots of room to take your time looking at the beautiful art. As expected, around some of the well known pieces of art it wasn’t as easy to see
Mar 2, 202485JillMM
Well worth it!
Definitely worth a visit. I started with 1-hr guided tour which was great to get grounded on the type of art in the various halls. Then spent another 2-hours audio touring focusing on Frans Hals and Rembrandt/Vermeer halls. The Night Watch was a key reason I went, but I was really impressed with so many of the pieces. The facility is large and the displays are decently spaced out. Go early to avoid crowds on a Saturday.
Mar 2, 2024richadk2021
Always enjoyable
I have been here a few times before and it is always such an enjoyable day out. The Frans Hals exhibition was great to see everything inn one place.
Mar 2, 2024kimlivingincolor
The Museum of All Museums
The Rijks Museum was absolutely incredible and features works from so many incredible artists. The library was the main reason I wanted to travel to Amsterdam for and I went in twice it was so amazing.
Feb 29, 2024Busker999
Great museum and art gallery
Very comprehensive museum - not just art either. Great to see only the Night Watch behind glass and easy for all to see unlike at the Louvre. Van Gogh self portrait, milkmaids and Waterloo all easy to find but without crowds of people was great. Well organised and part of I Amsterdam card made it extra worth it
Feb 23, 2024144stevem
Great artwork
We visited and bought tickets in advance although that didn’t seem to make much difference when queuing to enter the museum. We downloaded the Musuem’s app and used our own headphones for the audio which was excellent. There is some great pairings stored here and I would say that this is a must do when visiting Amsterdam.
Feb 23, 2024Wivenhoe40
Even non art lovers will enjoy this
I usually only last about an hour in Art galleries, but we left after 3 hours and it didn’t feel as though we’d been there very long. The audio guide is great, so definitely get one and if you can go early in the day, it’s worth it.
Feb 17, 2024SconceOxshott
Good museum
A good sized museum with a nice variety of art. Dont understand why the Nightwatch is the star of the show - so many better things to see but I’m no art critic. Cafe is nice and sensibly priced. It’s busy but not packed - we went mid week which maybe helped. Much better value than the Van Gogh museum which is close by
Feb 16, 2024Tabatha1998
So very busy
A lot of art to be seen. Unfortunately they let a lot of people through at the same time, so you end up queuing to see some of the more popular paintings.
Feb 15, 2024The_Coach55
Classic Dutch Art
The Rijksmuseum is located in the centre of Amsterdam. To get there from Centraal station, we took metro M52 two stops to Vijzelgracht from where it is a short walk. Gaining admission was a fairly convoluted process. A person at the entrance advised purchasing tickets from a nearby kiosk but it appeared to be closed, so we ended up buying tickets online. Once inside, it was very crowded. However, the excellent art made up for that. Some great Vermeer paintings including The Milkmaid, plus several Rembrandts. Unfortunately The Night Watch is now behind glass and bars but is still worth viewing. The De Stijl section was a little disappointing as although there were some nice works by Bart van der Leck, there was only one Mondrian which was a landscape. There were some very good paintings by Charley Toorop as well. Admission fee was €22.50.
Feb 12, 2024DanielJSweeney
If you want to experiencethe history and magnitude of Dutch art do not miss
Very well organised museum, just loads to see , the self guided audio tour is great when you getthe hang of it and your bearings in the museaum. I choose the highlights tour which took me 1 hour 30 - 2 hours to complete.
Feb 11, 2024391grantt
Great to see the revamp after 20 years
Was a great place to revisit. Last time around 20 years ago so good to see the changes that have been made. Very crowded, as to be expected. The staff where simply amazing! Helpful, friendly, and a joy. But I would live to think they could introduce an after hours $$$$ offering without the crowds. I would pay for that. That aside, a MUST.
Feb 9, 2024549donc
Amsterdam Rijksmuseum
A fabulous art museum that not only has art on the walls, but built-in to the building (the walls and floors also). See the "real" Dutch Masters in all of their glory.
Feb 5, 2024
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