Overview

The Rijks museum is a must for anyone interested in Dutch art and history spanning over 800 years; this was our first time visiting and it certainly didn't disappoint, in fact, we were amazed by the sheer amount and breadth of treasures on show here. Everything from Van Gogh to traditional Chinese ceramics to Medieval Religious art is here; the only thing that would have made the experience even better would be if we had had more time, I would definitely allow a few hours for your visit. Although the path leading down towards the entrance is a bit cobbled, the entrance itself is really accessible; we were met by a friendly member of staff who helped us operate the spacious lift which took us to the main area on the ground floor. Staff also said that a quiet space was available along with a disabled toilet complete with a bench and a hoist if I need-ed them. At reception, there was an accessible map available telling visitors the most acces-sible route. I saw on the website that audio described tours of the museum are available on request too. I really liked how the area dedicated to the Netherlands' colonial history provided an insight into the crimes committed in the name of empire and referenced this to an extent portraying some of those affected by them as survivors rather than victims. I can't overstate how many fascinating things there are in this museum; I read that they try to give a 21st century P. O. V. on subjects that have previously not been given the attention they deserve, for example, feminist art historians give tours giving fresh perspectives on how we interpret the art displayed here. I really loved to see so many different artefacts from all the corners of the world, I love this museum's attitude to access in all senses of the word and I'd love to return next time I'm in Amsterdam

Transport & Parking

We went by train from Den Haag and then walked/wheeled to the museum; it took us about 40 minutes to wheel up to the museum as the bike lanes, tram lines crossing points etc appeared to be both lethal and random! The wheelchairs we saw in the bike lanes were travelling very quickly to keep up with the traffic flow and the pavements are often cobbled, uneven and very crowded. We managed to get a tram back to the station on the way back and we should have taken it down to the museum to avoid the above. There are usually light sprinter trains which are accessible from the platforms, however, the day we went they were being replaced by older trains which you needed to book assistance for 24 hours in advance as these trains need ramps. Our tickets were pre-booked for that day so they allowed us to travel without the 24 hours advance notice. This went a bit wrong when the person with the ramp turned up too late and we missed the train back to Den Haag, however, they were incredibly efficient at phoning around and getting us home on a different train (involving a transfer) and there was hardly any time difference in our original arrival time back in Den Haag. They appeared desperate to rectify the situation and did so; it would be great if our railways had their attitude; another amazing thing was seeing lots of staff available throughout the station to help. The train wheelchair space on the older replacement train stock was grubby, graffitied and very close to the toilet door and bike parking, I’ll leave it to your imagination re. the issues I had with that but I understand why they are getting rid of these older trains! Once in Amsterdam, there are no accessible bus-stops outside the museum and cars can’t access the road up to it. We got a tram back to the station a few minutes wheel away which was accessible and easy. Apparently there are disabled parking places in streets nearby but I’d imagine they would be taken as parking is so difficult in Amsterdam. To be fair to the museum though, this is outwith their control and inside the museum is very accessible.

Access

We got into the main atrium via a lift from the passage/ arcade outside. We were given directions from staff there about the layout, lifts, toilets etc. The museum had good wheelchair access but I’d advise going at a quieter time/day than when I went as the crowds made it difficult to get close to certain works. There were spacious lifts to all floors and places to rest.

Toilets

There are disabled toilets on each floor plus one larger room with a changing bench, hoist, sink and an armchair. The toilets were clean, had grab rails and horizontal red cords.

Staff

The staff were very friendly and helpful; one who looked eerily like Van Gogh and introduced himself as ‘Vincent’ was particularly funny and entertaining!

Photos