Behind an unassuming canal-side facade on the Prinsengracht, the rooms where Anne Frank and seven others hid from Nazi persecution for over two years have been preserved almost exactly as they were left. The Anne Frank House is one of Amsterdam’s most visited sites and, for many travelers, its most affecting, translating a diary read by generations of schoolchildren into a physical space you can actually walk through. The bookcase that concealed the entrance to the Secret Annex still swings open exactly as it did in 1944.

What to See and Do at the Anne Frank House

Walk Through the Secret Annex

The narrow, steep staircase behind the movable bookcase leads into the rooms where the Frank and van Pels families lived in hiding, largely unfurnished today but marked with details like the pencil lines on the wall tracking Anne’s height and the film star photos she pasted above her bed. Walking through in near silence, alongside other visitors doing the same, is part of what makes the experience land so heavily.

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See Anne’s Original Diary Pages

The museum displays pages from Anne’s actual red-checkered diary alongside her other notebooks, offering a direct look at the handwriting behind one of the most widely read accounts of the Holocaust.

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Explore the Exhibition on the Persecution of Jews in Amsterdam

Before reaching the Annex, exhibits walk through the wider context of the German occupation of the Netherlands, helping visitors understand how the Frank family’s situation fit into a much larger pattern across the city and country.

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Watch the Video Testimonies

Short recorded interviews with people who knew Anne Frank, including childhood friends, add a personal dimension that goes beyond the diary text most visitors already know.

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Best Time to Visit

Early morning or evening slots, where available, tend to be less crowded than midday, and visiting outside the peak summer months of July and August generally means shorter queues once inside. The museum caps the number of visitors per time slot, so the space rarely feels overcrowded regardless of when you go.

How to Get There

The museum sits in the Jordaan district along the Prinsengracht canal, an easy walk from Amsterdam Centraal station or a short tram ride from most points in the city center. Canal boats and bike paths also pass right by, making it simple to combine with a broader stroll through the neighborhood.

Good to Know

Tickets are timed and released online well in advance, and they sell out regularly, so booking ahead rather than hoping to walk up is essential. Plan for around an hour inside, and know that large bags aren’t permitted in the exhibition spaces, so travel light or use the available storage.

Few museums manage to feel this quiet and this powerful at once. A visit to the Anne Frank House is a sobering counterpoint to Amsterdam’s canals and cafes, and for most travelers, an essential one.