Museum in Focus - Stedelijk Amsterdam

The Stedelijk is not the most famous museum in Amsterdam, but it may be the most important if you want to understand the ideas shaping our time.

Located in Museumplein, alongside the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum, the Stedelijk stands out for anyone interested in modern and contemporary art, design, and visual culture.

A Museum That’s Always in Motion

The Stedelijk (Dutch for “municipal”) first opened in 1895, but the museum’s identity as a home for modern art truly came into focus in the early 20th century. It was among the first in Europe to collect works from then-unknown artists like Kandinsky, Malevich, and Mondrian. Today, it holds over 90,000 works spanning painting, sculpture, photography, film, digital art, graphic design, and even performance.

The Stedelijk’s reputation comes not just from its collection, but its curation. This is a museum that, over the years, has constantly asked viewers to think, not just admire.

Exhibits change frequently and tend to mix media, eras, and ideas. A retrospective of a post-war painter might be shown alongside video installations, or mid-century graphic design placed in dialogue with street art and protest posters.

The Building 

The museum’s original red-brick building now sits beside a striking extension known locally as “The Bathtub” - a white structure designed by Benthem Crouwel Architects that caused plenty of controversy when it opened in 2012. 

Inside, the spaces are open and adaptable. There is plenty of light in the upper galleries, while lower levels have darker, moodier installations. This is deliberate to how exhibits are staged.

What to See

While exhibitions rotate regularly, there are a few permanent fixtures and highlights that showcase the museum’s range:

• De Stijl Movement: The Stedelijk owns one of the world’s most important collections of work by Piet Mondrian and Theo van Doesburg, pioneers of the abstract De Stijl movement.

• Bauhaus: From László Moholy-Nagy to Marcel Breuer, the museum’s design and furniture collection is deeply rooted in modernism’s most influential schools.

• Photography and Time-Based Media: The Stedelijk was ahead of the curve in collecting photography and film, with works by artists like Nan Goldin, Rineke Dijkstra, and Steve McQueen.

• Post-War Rebels: American and European artists who redefined visual art in the mid-20th century - Barnett Newman, Ellsworth Kelly, and Jean Dubuffet feature prominently.

Current and recent exhibitions often focus on urgent contemporary issues: migration, digital surveillance, climate, identity politics. The museum does not shy away from the messy!

Practical Details

The Stedelijk Museum is open daily, including weekends, and late on Fridays. It's just a few tram stops from Amsterdam Centraal, or a 30-minute walk along the canals. Tickets are €20 for adults, and free for visitors under 18, making it one of the more accessible major museums in the city.

There’s also an excellent café and shop selling everything from limited-edition art books to design pieces.

Getting There with Aer Lingus

Travelling to Amsterdam from Ireland is fast and easy, with Aer Lingus offering multiple daily direct flights from Dublin to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. The flight takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes.

From Schiphol, the Stedelijk Museum is just a 20-minute train and tram ride away. Take a train to Amsterdam Zuid or Centraal and transfer to Tram 5 or 12, which stop right at Museumplein. Return fares with Aer Lingus typically range from €90 to €180, depending on the season and how early you book.