NEMO Science Museum

NEMO stands directly over the entrance to the IJ tunnel, and Renzo Piano used that: the building follows the tunnel's rise, so it climbs out of the water as a long sloped green copper wedge that reads as a ship's bow lifting, one of the most recognisable modern buildings in Amsterdam. It opened in 1997. Inside are five floors of hands-on science exhibits aimed at children and families - chain reactions, a water zone, a laboratory where visitors run experiments in coats and goggles, a section on how the brain works, and demonstrations of chemistry and electricity - and it is loud and busy by design. The roof is the other half: a stepped public square open free to anyone, climbing to about thirty metres with a view over the old harbour, the city and the Oosterdok, with a summer terrace on it.

History

NEMO began in 1923 as the Museum van den Arbeid, the "Museum of Labour", opened by the artist Herman Heijenbrock on the Rozengracht. It became the NINT in 1954 and moved into Renzo Piano's building in 1997 as newMetropolis; the name Science Center Nemo came in 2000 and NEMO Science Museum in 2016 (Wikipedia, NEMO (museum)).

Highlights

• A rising green wedge - Piano's building following the tunnel out of the water.
• Five floors of hands-on exhibits - built for children to operate rather than watch.
• A working laboratory - visitors running experiments with coats and goggles.
• A free rooftop square - stepped to thirty metres with a view over the harbour.

When to go

All year. A day.

Practical notes

It is designed for children and is loud and crowded, especially in school holidays - adults without children may find it hard going. Book timed tickets. The roof is free and open separately.

Nearby

The National Maritime Museum is next door; Centraal Station is a short walk.

Key facts