The Houseboat Museum, located in the beautifully preserved freighter Hendrika Maria along the Prinsengracht canal, provides a rare and intimate insight into one of Amsterdam’s most distinctive ways of life. As a visitor, you'll enjoy a unique self-guided exploration focused on snug, compact living quarters and the technical cleverness needed to live on the water.
The experience is naturally self-paced, guided solely by a complimentary audio tour available in several languages. As soon as you step aboard, the hustle and bustle of the busy canal city fades, supplanted by the soft creaks of the ship's hull—a constant reminder that you're adrift. The audio guide promptly sets the scene, presenting the Hendrika Maria as a former cargo vessel built in 1914, which was transformed into a dwelling in the 1960s. This transition from industry to dwelling is the first major theme of the tour.
