Anne Frank House

The Anne Frank House is one of Amsterdam’s most important and emotionally powerful museums. It is located inside the actual building where Anne Frank, her parents and sister went into hiding on 6 July 1942. They were later joined by the Van Pels family and Fritz Pfeffer, bringing the total number of people concealed in the Secret Annex to eight.

Visitors follow a carefully designed route through Otto Frank’s former business premises before passing behind the bookcase that concealed the entrance to the Annex. The small rooms, narrow corridors and extremely steep staircases reveal the confined circumstances in which the group lived for more than two years.

The Annex was left largely empty at the request of Otto Frank, the only one of the eight people in hiding to survive the Holocaust. Quotations, photographs, videos and original objects tell the story without recreating the rooms. Among the museum’s most significant objects is Anne’s original red-checked diary, which she received for her thirteenth birthday.

The included audio tour provides historical context and personal accounts as visitors move through the building. The result is not a traditional museum experience, but an intimate encounter with one individual story that reflects the devastating consequences of antisemitism, persecution and war.

Tickets are only sold through the official website. Every Tuesday at 10:00, tickets become available for visits exactly six weeks later and frequently sell out quickly. Commercial walking tours do not include museum admission.

Consider booking the 30-minute introductory programme if you want more historical context before entering the museum. Photography is prohibited, and visitors should be prepared for several steep staircases. The historic Secret Annex is not wheelchair accessible.

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