Amsterdam Sights

Museum Geelvinck

An Amsterdam Canal Mansion, built in 1687, with 4 period rooms and a classical garden.

Everything about the Geelvinck Hinlopen House was designed and built to showcase the wealth and position of the owners Albert Geelvinck and Sara Hinlopen. The Geelvinck family were active in the East India and West India trading companies, and in 1687, built this house as a family home suitable for entertaining business guests.

Since then the house has been a bank, and there is still a large vault in one of the souterrain rooms. Four rooms on the ground floor have now been restored, and are open to the public on Sundays.

You enter the museum from the old coach house at Keizersgracht 633, and pass through a delightful garden to reach the house. Cascades of pink roses surround the pond in summer, in autumn it is glowing with colour.

Garden

Of the four rooms one is a library with deep leather chairs and a wonderfully decorated ceiling was revealed when the house was renovated and has been restored to its 19th century glory. Two others, the Red and Blue rooms were the drawing and dining room respectively, and have period paintings and furniture sourced from other houses.

The most interesting room is the Chinese room, which is richly decorated in what would have been the height of fashion. It was probably a room for Sara Hinlopen to receive lady guests for tea. In that time coffee was seen as too stimulating for the ladies, and was only taken by gentlemen in coffee houses around the town. Looking at the painted silk walls and Chinese porcelain you can imagine the rustle of gowns and the gentle flow of gossip over a cup of tea served in fine china.

How to get there?
From Dam Square, take tram 4, 16, 24 or 25, tram stop Keizersgracht.

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Geelvinck Hinlopen Huis

Keizersgracht 633
Amsterdam (Canal Belt)

official website
www.geelvinck.nl

Opening hours

Sun 11:00 - 17:00
Mon 11:00 - 17:00
Tue closed
Wed 11:00 - 17:00
Thu 11:00 - 17:00
Fri 11:00 - 17:00
Sat 11:00 - 17:00


Price

€8 (adults)
€4 (6-18 years)
free (0-5 years)


Note

The actual museum is at the Herengracht, but the entrance for the museum is at the Keizersgracht 633, the former carriage house.

The museum is closed from Dec 23 to Jan 3.