About the Museum

The Royal Palace of Amsterdam in Amsterdam (Dutch: Koninklijk Paleis van Amsterdam or Paleis op de Dam) is one of three palaces in the Netherlands which are at the disposal of the monarch by Act of Parliament. It is situated on the west side of Dam Square in the centre of Amsterdam, opposite the War Memorial and next to the Nieuwe Kerk. During the Batavian Republic, the public floors of the building became the first Amsterdam museum under Louis Bonaparte. When Bonaparte was made king by Napoleon, the building was used as the royal palace. After the fall of Napoleon, it became the palace of the Dutch Royal House. The public floors still function as a museum and are open to the public most days of the year. The palace building was commissioned by Burgemeester Nicolaes Tulp as a large-scale construction project for a new stadhuis (city hall), even before the old one burned down in 1652. It was completed in 1656 and became an international attraction for foreign visitors and the works of art installed in various public rooms were recorded and copied by various artists.