MUSEUM WILLET-HOLTHUYSEN

Description

Essentials about the Museum Willet-Holthuysen in brief

If you want to get an impression of how the super-rich lived in 19th century Amsterdam, the Willet-Holthuysen Museum is the place to go. Located on the Herengracht, the house is one of the most beautiful canal houses in Amsterdam and shows on three floors the “living world” of a very wealthy family of that time.

The history of the Museum Willet-Holthuysen

The house was built in 1685 for the Amsterdam mayor Jacob Hop. Even after that it served as a home for other mayors. In 1739 the house got its present appearance in the Louis XIV style. In 1895, the then owner Louisa Holthuysen bequeathed the house, including all furnishings, to the city of Amsterdam on the condition that it would establish a museum bearing her name and that of her husband, Abraham Willet.

The exhibition of the Museum Willet-Holthuysen

Today, the Willet-Holthuysen Museum shows on three floors the “living world” of a very wealthy family from the 19th century. In the basement you can see the kitchen and the beautiful French landscape garden. On the second floor is the Beletage with the pompous representation rooms. And on the 2nd floor there is a bedroom and other exhibition rooms to see.