MUSEUMMagazine
English
Our museum guide is growing. Information is being added and checked by museums. Submit additional information
Museums / Amsterdam

North Holland · Culture & daily life

Museum of Illusions tests eyes, balance and perspective

Optical patterns and spatial installations on the Keizersgracht let visitors experience how perception is steered by context and viewpoint.

Plan your visit ↗

The eye sees, the brain fills in

Choose a flat illusion and first describe the lines, colour and repetition without naming the effect. Then change your distance and see where the impression flips.

A room with false perspective

In spatial set-ups, size or slope can seem different from what it really is. Find the fixed camera position and compare the photo with what you observe from the side.

An experience without the Museumkaart

The attraction works with tickets and is cashless; the Museumkaart (Dutch museum pass) is not valid. Tuesday is normally closed, but it may actually be open during school holidays, so a fixed weekly picture falls short.

Before you go

Daily 10.00–18.00 except Tuesday outside school holidays; closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

Sources

This first edition has been compiled from collected museum information. Not all of the information has yet been confirmed by the museum. Viewing tips are by the editorial team. The sources used are listed below.

  1. Research card 0918 — Museum of Illusions

    Source reference supplied; independent source check still needed. Unverified reference from a supplied research card; content, authority and currency still to be checked independently.

Is something incorrect or missing? Let the editorial team know →

Sections

Museum mapDiscover museumsHomeMuseum storiesThe art of lookingWorld & objectBehind the scenesWhat’s on