museum
Anne Frank House
The canal house where Anne Frank hid and wrote her diary. Tickets only online, weeks ahead.
Photo: Erwin Wilbers / Google
The Anne Frank House is one of Amsterdam's most moving places. In this canal house on the Prinsengracht, 13-year-old Anne Frank, her family and four others hid from Nazi persecution for more than two years. It was here that Anne wrote the diary that became one of the most widely read books in the world.
Inside the house
Visitors follow a quiet, one-way route through the warehouse to the secret annex, hidden behind a movable bookcase, where the eight people in hiding lived in near-silence by day.
The rooms are kept bare, as they were left after the 1944 raid. Anne's original diary and personal belongings are shown alongside the wider story of the Holocaust and persecution. A full visit takes around two hours and is emotionally demanding.
Booking
This is the hardest ticket in Amsterdam. Tickets are sold only online at annefrank.org — never at the door — and are released in batches several weeks ahead, selling out within minutes; a smaller share is released on the day itself.
Book as far in advance as you can and arrive on time, as late entry may be refused. There is no re-entry once you've finished the route.
What to expect
Visits are by timed-ticket only. Tickets are released approximately 6 weeks in advance at annefrank.org, in batches at 10:00 Amsterdam time. They sell out within hours during peak periods. There is no walk-up ticket option.
The route involves multiple flights of steep, narrow stairs and is not accessible for wheelchairs or strollers (an accessible route through additional exhibition spaces is available — book it specifically). Cloakroom is small; bring minimal bags. Photography is strictly prohibited in all parts of the museum.
Tips from locals
Set a calendar reminder for the ticket release date 6 weeks before your visit. Tickets disappear in hours; missing the window means missing the museum.
Book the latest available slot (often 21:00-22:30 in summer). Evening visits are quieter, the building is less crowded, and the route feels more contemplative.
Read the diary before you visit if you haven't already. The Annex makes sense differently when you've already met Anne in her own words.
Don't plan another emotionally heavy museum on the same day. The Resistance Museum (Verzetsmuseum) covers similar history with more breathing room and works better as a separate visit.
Did you know?
The secret annex where the Frank family hid was concealed behind a movable bookcase.
Anne received the now-famous diary as a present on her thirteenth birthday, just weeks before going into hiding.
The rooms are kept deliberately empty and unfurnished — a condition Otto Frank, Anne's father and the only survivor, insisted upon.
Anne wrote about a chestnut tree she could see from the annex window; the tree fell in a storm in 2010, but saplings from it now grow around the world.
Her original red-checked diary is on display in the museum.
FAQ
- How far in advance must I book Anne Frank House tickets?
- Tickets release approximately 6 weeks before the visit date, in batches at 10:00 Amsterdam time. They sell out within hours during peak periods.
- Is there a same-day or standby ticket option?
- Effectively no. The museum is timed-slot only and operates at full capacity. A small number of last-minute tickets sometimes appear online but should not be relied upon.
- Can I take photographs inside?
- No — photography is strictly forbidden throughout the museum, including the Annex and exhibition rooms.
- Is the Anne Frank House wheelchair accessible?
- The Annex itself is not wheelchair accessible due to steep stairs. An accessible exhibition route through ground-floor spaces is available — book it specifically.
- How long does the visit take?
- About 90 minutes if you read all wall texts. The route is one-way and timed, so visits flow steadily.
Anne Frank House, Amsterdam
Prinsengracht 263-267, 1016 GV, Amsterdam