How do you visit Amsterdam's Jewish Cultural Quarter right?
East of the centre, in the leafy Plantage, four sites hold the history of Amsterdam's Jewish community — once the largest in the Netherlands, three-quarters of it murdered between 1941 and 1945. The National Holocaust Museum, the Jewish Museum, the Portuguese Synagogue and the Hollandse Schouwburg stand within a five-minute walk of each other, covered by one combined ticket from $23, with the Resistance Museum next door completing the picture. This guide covers what each site holds, the order that works, and how the quarter pairs with Rembrandt's house at its western gate. The quarter is the deepest history in our guide to the museums in Amsterdam.
About This Experience
Plantage district — National Holocaust Museum at Plantage Middenlaan 27, Jewish Museum at Nieuwe Amstelstraat 1
Tram 14 runs the length of the Plantage; 15 minutes' walk from Rembrandt House or Waterlooplein
Daily from 11:00 for the National Holocaust Museum; the synagogue and Jewish Museum open from 11:00–17:00 — closed Saturdays at the synagogue (Shabbat)
One combined quarter ticket, booked from $23; Museumkaart and City Card accepted
The National Holocaust Museum's story of the crèche and the deportations, told in the buildings where it happened
Check Live Availability & Prices
The combined ticket covers all quarter sites — current pricing below.
What Each Site Holds
The quarter is deliberately a quarter, not a single museum. The National Holocaust Museum, opened in 2024 across two former teachers' training schools, tells the deportation story through named families and the teachers who smuggled some six hundred children to safety through the crèche next door — the Holtkruis of the story being that six hundred survived where most did not. The Jewish Museum, in four restored synagogues, covers the community's four centuries of Dutch life: religion, trade, the why of this neighbourhood.
The Portuguese Synagogue (1675) still holds services and still lights by candlelight — no electricity was ever installed. The Hollandse Schouwburg next to the Holocaust Museum was the theatre from which the deportations were staged, and is now a name-memorial.
- National Holocaust Museum — the core visit; two to three rooms per floor, entirely story-driven.
- Jewish Museum + the Great Synagogues — the living culture, best before the Holocaust Museum for those new to the history.
- Portuguese Synagogue — visit the interior and the treasure chambers; respect Shabbat closure on Saturdays.
- Hollandse Schouwburg — the memorial courtyard of names; sober, brief, essential.
- Resistance Museum across the street — the occupation from the choices of ordinary people; a full museum in its own right.
Quarter Tickets & Guided History
The combined entry and the guided walks that thread Anne Frank's story through the same streets.
from $23
National Holocaust Museum Ticket
Entry to the National Holocaust Museum in the Plantage, which tells the story of the persecution and deportation of Dutch Jews across the quarter where it happened.
- Opens 2024 in the Plantage
- The Jewish Quarter story
- Top-rated and moving
from $20
Dutch WWII Resistance Museum Ticket
Entry to the Verzetsmuseum, which shows the Dutch resistance under occupation through the choices of real people, resisters and bystanders alike.
- Everyday resistance stories
- Plantage Kerklaan location
- Top-rated, sober
from $28
Private Anne Frank & Jewish Quarter Tour
A private two-hour walk pairing Anne Frank's story with the wider history of the Jewish Quarter, from the Portuguese Synagogue to the Plantage.
- Private guide, 2 hours
- Jewish Cultural Quarter walk
- Deep-dive history
Side by Side
| Site / Tour | Format | Price | Book | Rating | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National Holocaust Museum | Self-guided, ~1.5 hours | $23 | Check Availability | 4.7★ | The essential Plantage visit |
| Dutch Resistance Museum | Self-guided, ~1.5 hours | $20 | Check Availability | 4.7★ | The occupation, both sides of it |
| Private Quarter Walk | ~2 hours with a guide | $28 | Check Availability | 4.6★ | The streets between the museums |
| Last Walk + VR | Walk + virtual Annex | $43 | Check Availability | 4.8★ | When house slots are gone |
The Plantage: canals give way to avenues and elm trees, and four buildings carry the memory of the neighbourhood that was deported from them.
How a Quarter Day Flows
-
Morning
Jewish Museum first
Four centuries of life before the war story — the synagogue complex is the right first room and opens the quietest.
-
Midday
Portuguese Synagogue
Cross the street to the 1675 giant, candlelit and bare; the treasure chambers justify the ticket alone.
-
Early afternoon
National Holocaust Museum
Give it two hours. The crèche story across the courtyard is the museum's centre of gravity.
-
If strength remains
Resistance Museum or the Schouwburg
Either completes the day; doing both plus everything above is a heavy day by any honest measure.
-
After
Artis or the canal back
The zoo's avenue and the Hermitage canal walk both decompress; the quarter exits gently by design.
Know Before You Go
- One combined ticket covers all quarter sites — from $23 booked; Museumkaart and City Card accepted.
- The Portuguese Synagogue closes for Shabbat on Saturdays; plan it on any other day.
- The Holocaust Museum opens at 11:00 — the quarter is an afternoon-shaped visit by design.
- Photography is restricted in the memorial spaces; follow the room signage rather than instinct.
- The quarter sits flat and walkable; tram 14 stitches it to Centraal and the Rembrandt House in minutes.
Where You're Headed
Jewish Cultural Quarter FAQ
What is the Jewish Cultural Quarter in Amsterdam?
A cluster of four connected heritage sites in the Plantage — the National Holocaust Museum, the Jewish Museum with its restored synagogues, the 1675 Portuguese Synagogue and the Hollandse Schouwburg memorial — covered by one combined ticket, with the Dutch Resistance Museum just across the Plantage Kerklaan.
How much are tickets for the Jewish Cultural Quarter?
The combined quarter ticket runs from $23 booked and covers all the sites. Museumkaart and I amsterdam City Card holders enter free with the usual reservations. Single-site tickets exist but nobody honestly buys them — the quarter is built to be visited whole.
How long do you need for the Jewish Cultural Quarter?
Half a day: about two hours split between the Jewish Museum and the Portuguese Synagogue, then two hours at the National Holocaust Museum with the Schouwburg memorial. Adding the Resistance Museum turns it into a full day — worth planning, not worth improvising.
Is the Jewish Cultural Quarter suitable for children?
Older children and teenagers, yes — the National Holocaust Museum tells its story through families and named children, which lands. Younger children do better at the Resistance Museum's junior section, designed for them, or outdoors at the Artis zoo at the end of the Plantage.
What Visitors Say
A must do in Amsterdam. Great information and heartbreaking stories that need to be told and heard.
Very moving — a great tribute to those lost. The volunteers were welcoming and helpful throughout.
All about history and personal stories that come together — the building itself is part of the story.