Visiting the Anne Frank House: What to Know Before You Go

The museum occupies the actual canal house on the Prinsengracht where Anne Frank, her family, and four others hid from the Nazi occupation for over two years, before being betrayed and deported in 1944. Anne died in Bergen-Belsen; her father Otto survived and later published her diary.

Because the building itself is the artefact, capacity is deliberately limited, which is why tickets are harder to get than almost anywhere else in the city. It is worth booking before you finalise the rest of your best time to visit Amsterdam plans, since your dates may need to work around ticket availability.

How the booking system works

Tickets are sold exclusively online through the official Anne Frank House website, in timed slots, and there is no box office to buy from on the day. New tickets are released roughly six weeks ahead, with a small batch of next-day tickets released daily at 9am local time.

• Book as far ahead as the release schedule allows, especially for a spring or summer visit.
• Set an alarm for the daily 9am release if you missed the main window; these slots go within minutes.
• Each ticket has a specific entry time, though once inside you can stay as long as you like.
• Tickets are non-refundable, so double-check your dates before paying.

What you actually see

The route takes you through the Opekta company offices on the lower floors, then behind the famous swinging bookcase into the Secret Annex itself. The rooms are left unfurnished, on Otto Frank's original instruction, but photographs and short film clips overlay the empty spaces with life.

You will see Anne's actual bedroom wall, still decorated with the film star postcards and pictures she pasted up, and later the display cases holding the original diary notebooks. The final rooms deal with what happened after the arrest, including testimony from those who survived and those who did not.

How long the visit takes

Budget around one to one and a half hours, including the introductory exhibition before the house itself. The route is one-directional and there is no reason to rush, though the museum does keep visitor flow moving steadily through the narrow original staircases. It slots easily into either our 2 day or 3 day Amsterdam itineraries.

Preparing yourself emotionally

This is not a museum to combine with something light beforehand or expect to shake off immediately afterwards. Many visitors find the final rooms, which confirm the fates of everyone who hid in the annex, genuinely difficult, and that is by design rather than an accident.

Accessibility

This is an important practical point: the house has steep, narrow original Dutch staircases, including the stairs behind the bookcase, and there is no lift access to the upper floors or the annex. Visitors with mobility restrictions should contact the museum in advance, since a limited alternative route exists but does not include the annex itself.

The museum is not well suited to buggies or large bags, and there is only very limited storage on site, so travel light.

Best times to visit

Nearby, if you have time after

The Anne Frank House sits at the edge of the Jordaan, one of the most pleasant neighbourhoods in the city for a wander, and the Westerkerk church tower next door is worth a look from outside even if you do not go up. It is also an easy walk from Dam Square and a short cycle or tram ride from the Rijksmuseum and Van Gogh Museum if you want to build a fuller day of museum-going.

Practical tips

1. Arrive five to ten minutes before your slot, not much earlier or later.
2. Bring ID matching the name on the booking; checks are occasionally made.
3. Leave bulky bags at your hotel, as storage on site is minimal.
4. Photography is not permitted inside the house itself.