Rijksmuseum, Netherland’s largest art Museum, has over 8,000 artworks by Dutch artists and others, spread out over four floors!
The Wings and room can be challenging to navigate during peak hours, especially for first-time visitors.
Visitors must have a Rijksmuseum map to help them easily navigate the three floors by finding uncrowded shortcuts and staircase and elevator locations.
In this article, we’ll discover the location of the famous paintings, rooms, and other facilities accessible to visitors in detail!
From where can I get the Map of Rijksmuseum?
Rijksmuseum maps are unavailable as a physical copy; however, you can easily download the Rijksmuseum Map pdf from their official website.
It clearly shows you the division of all the rooms and details of what you can find on each floor of the museum.
Since the Museum has free Wi-fi connectivity, we recommend downloading the Rijksmuseum App.
It allows you to locate all rooms and artworks in the Museum just by typing in the name, and it even has the option to plan your itinerary route!
You can also follow the itinerary other visitors have made in the past on the App if you don’t have time for research and to prepare your itinerary from scratch.
If you don’t want to deal with maps at all, we recommend taking a Rijksmuseum Guided Tour, with a professional tour guide who knows all the ins and outs of the Museum!
The Layout of the Museum
The Rijksmuseum has three floors and a ground floor area, and it can easily be navigated if you divide the map by the left and right wings.
The layout of the Left Wing is:
| Left Wing Floor | Collection Displayed |
|---|---|
| Ground Floor | Special Collections |
| First Floor | 1700s to 1800s |
| Second Floor | 1600 to 1650 |
| Third Floor | 1950 to 2000 |
The layout of the Right Wing is:
| Right Wing Floor | Collection Displayed |
|---|---|
| Ground Floor | 1100 to 1600 |
| First Floor | 1800 to 1900 |
| Second Floor | 1650 to 1700 |
| Third Floor | 1900 to 1950 |
The floors are interconnected, allowing you to move easily between the Left and Right Wings of the Museum.
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Directions to the Famous Rooms!
The Rijksmuseum is an interconnected Museum, allowing you to move from one room to another via corridors.
The Map also allows you to look for shortcuts to get to the most popular rooms so you can avoid most of the tourist crowd.
Here are some simple instructions to get to the most popular rooms inside the Rijksmuseum!
Gallery of Honours
The most famous room of the Rijksmuseum is the Gallery of Honours, housing the artworks of Johannes Vermeer and Rembrandt!
It is located on the second floor of the Museum and is in the central corridor of both wings.
You can easily get here from the Great Hall or the Night Watch Gallery, as these rooms are in a straight line!
The Night Watch Gallery
The Night Watch Gallery was constructed to house Rembrandt’s Night Watch painting, the most popular artwork in the Museum!
It is on the second floor, in line with the Sculpture Gallery and The Gallery of Honours.
Visitors can get here by taking the staircases or elevators from the Entrance of the Museum.
Great Hall
The Great Hall is one of the most beautiful parts of the Rijksmuseum, with mosaic walls and stunning stained glass windows.
It is also known for its architectural grandeur and displays paintings by Georg Strum and his pupils!
The Hall is on the second floor, in line with the Gallery of Honours, and easily accessible from the Honours Gallery.
You can also enter the Great Hall from rooms 2.28 and 2.24 on the map.
Cuyper’s Library
The Cuyper’s Library is on the second floor of the Museum and houses some of the oldest books in the Netherlands.
It is also the oldest art-based historical library in the Netherlands and is easy to access from Rooms 1.12 and 1.13 on the map.
You can take the first right in the passage leading towards the Philips Wing from Room 1.12 to get to the Cuyper’s Library!
The Asian Pavillion
The Asian Pavillion houses a unique collection of statues, sculptures, and other artifacts from India, Indonesia, and other Asian countries.
It is in a separate Wing and is easily accessible by taking the passage between Rooms 0.6 and 0.5.
It is opposite the Picknick Area of the Museum.
The Philips Wing
The oldest Lacquer rooms in the world are in the Philips Wing, displaying a collection of international art and photographs!
You can get to the Philips Wing from the ground and first floors of the Museum.
On the ground floor, the Philips Wing is beyond the Asian pavilion, which is easy to access via the passage on the right as you come out of Gallery 0.5.
On the first floor, the passage leading to the Philips Wing is beside Cuyper’s Library and easily accessible from Room 1.12.
It can be difficult to get to the popular Galleries like the Gallery of Honour and the Night Watch Gallery when the Museum is crowded.
Check out our article on Rijksmuseum Visiting Tips to help you navigate the area better!
If you visit between 11 am and 3.30 pm, when the Museum is most crowded, you can explore the green spaces on the map, which are the least crowded parts of the Museum.
Visitors can also find benches to take a break at and the location of the Cafe easily on the map!
Highlight Artworks of the Museum & their Locations
If you don’t have enough time to explore all the popular rooms and instead want to see only the famous artworks, here are their exact locations!
Visitors having a Rijksmuseum Map will realize that finding all these locations is extremely easy.
- The Night Watch Painting: The most popular painting of the Museum depicting the Guards of a Military Group beginning their duty. It is on display in the Night Watch Gallery.
- The Milkmaid: Vermeer’s domestic painting of a maid pouring milk from a pitcher, known for its bright subject matter, is in the Gallery of Honours.
- The Battle of Waterloo: Jan William Pineman’s Battle of Waterloo painting depicting the Duke of Wellington receiving the good news of the arrival of the Prussian forces. It is in room 1.12.
- Rembrandt’s Early Self Portrait: The early painting of Rembrandt is on display in room 2.8.
- Vincent Van Gogh’s Self-Portrait: The only Van Gogh painting in the Rijksmuseum that depicts a colorful self-portrait of Vincent is displayed in Room 1.18.
- Dollhouses of Petronella Oortman: Showing the layout and furniture style of ancient Dutch Houses, the three dollhouses of Petronella Oortman are displayed in Room 2.20.
From where can I access the Staircases and Elevators in the Rijksmuseum?
The staircases and elevators leading to all floors are accessible in both the rooms next to the Cloakroom on the ground floor.
The other two elevators on the ground floor are accessible from the passages on both sides of the ticket counter.
These are accessible from both the atrium areas and rooms 0.1, 0.6, 0.7, and 0.13.
You can also find elevators and staircases near the washrooms on the first and second floors to go up to the other levels.
The elevators are also for visitors with wheelchairs or those having other mobility devices.
Visitors can also take the staircase to the other levels in case there is a crowd using the elevators.
The Philips Wing and Asian Pavillion have their staircase inside the space that allows you to get to the first and second floors of the respective galleries!
The cafe on the first floor is only accessible by staircase.
Please note: You can only access the third floor by taking the stairs or elevators from the Great Hall side of the second floor.
Where are the washrooms of the Rijksmuseum?
The Rijksmuseum has reserved washroom facilities on the ground floor for visitors with wheelchairs or other disabilities.
You can get here by walking straight from the Atrium and taking either of the corridors on both sides of the ticket counter.
The map has blue arrows drawn on it, which highlight the easiest path to take for wheelchair users. This applies to all floors!
The washrooms here also have diaper-changing tables, and other facilities parents can access.
The restrooms open for all visitors are on the first and second floors of the Museum and are easy to find as they are beside the elevators.
You will find two washrooms on both ends of the Great Hall on the second floor.
The first-floor washrooms are accessible from rooms 1.11 and 1.18.
How to get to the Rijksmuseum Entrance?
The Rijksmuseum has two entrances, accessible from the Arcade under the building, also known as the Passage.
You can enter the Passage from the Museumplein Square and find the entrance on your left.
This Passage is open for pedestrians to use and even for those riding on cycles!
The elevators and staircases at the entrance will lead you to the Atrium from where you can access the information desk, ticket office, Cloakroom, Cafe, and other floors of the Museum.
If you need more information on how to get to the entrance, check out our article on How to get to the Rijksmuseum!
Planning your route to explore the Museum on the Map
To save more time when exploring the Rijksmuseum, we recommend planning a fixed route to explore the space so you can cover all the rooms you wish to see!
Here are some tips to help you plan the route with the help of a Rijksmuseum Map so you avoid backtracking your steps:
- Research before: You must check the famous artworks and rooms of the Rijksmuseum before you plan your itinerary. You can then set an informational path around the Museum.
- Dedicate a fixed time slot: Avoid spending too much time in one room of the Museum. This allows you to cover many other rooms of the Museum even if you’re on a time crunch!
- Use Direction Boards: Instead of always looking down on your map, it is easier to use signboards around the Museum to direct you to the room you plan to visit. However, this strategy only works if you have planned your route.
- Create a Flexible Schedule: If one room of the Museum is too crowded, switch around your itinerary and explore a non-crowded room first! You can avoid standing around and pushing people to enter if you do this. If you’re not sure how to change the schedule last minute, you can use the Rijksmuseum App to select a new schedule used by other visitors.
- Complete the Guided Tour first!: A Rijksmuseum Guided Tour is the best way to navigate the Museum without getting lost. It gives first-time visitors a complete tour of the most famous artworks. You can explore the less-crowded rooms later.
It will take at least 2 hours to explore all the famous artworks of the Rijksmuseum, while all popular rooms will need a 5-hour exploration itinerary.
Why should I get a Rijksmuseum Map?
The Rijksmuseum is the biggest in the Netherlands and can be very confusing to navigate without some guidance.
If you’re not already convinced that a Map of the Rijksmuseum will benefit your trip, here are a few more reasons to get your hands on the map!
- You can save much more time with a map that will prevent you from going around in circles.
- Visitors with disabilities can easily locate elevators, reserved washrooms, and other accessible facilities to ensure they have an enjoyable experience.
- Parents traveling with restless kids won’t have to stand around and decide on the rooms last minute. They can follow a schedule kids will enjoy!
- The map helps you find hidden shortcuts and direct routes.
- An updated map will give you information about the new rooms added and avoid rooms temporarily closed for renovations.
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FAQs on Map of Amsterdam Rijksmuseum
1. From where can I get the Rijksmuseum Map?
You can get a Rijksmuseum Map pdf online from the official Museum website. You can also download the Rijksmuseum App, which has excellent navigational facilities.
2. In what languages are the tours on the Rijksmuseum App available?
The tours on the App are available in English, Dutch, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, and Dutch Sign Language.
3. From where can I ask for directions in the Rijksmuseum?
You can ask for directions from the information desk on the ground floor of the museum, which is directly opposite the shop.
4. Is the Audio Guide option better than using a map?
An Audio Guide offers a better experience for first-time visitors, as they leave with a detailed explanation of each art piece and help with navigating the Museum. The map is an excellent option for those on a time crunch.
5. Where can I store luggage in the Rijksmuseum?
You can store luggage in the Cloakroom on the Ground Floor of the Museum.
6. Where is the Gallery of Honours inside the Rijksmuseum?
The Gallery of Honours is on the second floor of the Museum, between the Night Watch Gallery and the Great Hall.
7. Where are the reserved disabled washroom facilities on the map?
Washroom facilities reserved for visitors with disabilities are on the ground floor of the Museum. You can access these from the two corridors at either side of the Ticket Counter.
Featured Image: Rijksmuseum.nl