Anne Frank House

The Anne Frank House is the canal house at Prinsengracht 263 where Anne Frank, her parents and sister, and four other Jewish people hid from the Nazi occupiers between 1942 and 1944. The hiding place, known as the Secret Annex, was concealed behind a movable bookcase in the rear part of the building, which housed the business run by Anne's father, Otto Frank. After the group was betrayed and deported, only Otto survived. He published Anne's diary, and the house opened to the public as a museum on 3 May 1960.

A visit follows the route through the front house, where the company's offices and warehouse were, and then through the bookcase into the annex. At Otto Frank's request the rooms have been left unfurnished, and their emptiness is powerful. Quotations from the diary, original objects, photographs and film fragments tell the story of the people in hiding and the helpers who supported them. Anne's original diary is displayed later in the route, and the visit ends with reflections on discrimination and persecution today.

The museum is suitable for older children and teenagers who have read the diary or learned about the war at school. The story is distressing, and there are steep, narrow stairs, so it is less suited to very young children or visitors with limited mobility. An audio tour is available, and there is a café.

Tickets are sold online only, for a specific time slot, and cannot be bought at the door. They are released every Tuesday at 10am for visits six weeks later, and they sell out quickly, so set a reminder. Children aged 0 to 9 also need a booked ticket. The museum is normally open every day from 9am to 10pm, with shorter hours on certain holidays, and closes on Yom Kippur. Payment inside is by bank or credit card only. Allow about an hour, and arrive on time for your slot.

The entrance is at Westermarkt 20, beside the Westerkerk, whose tower Anne could hear from the annex. Trams 13 and 17 stop at Westermarkt. Afterwards, the Jordaan's streets and the Nine Streets shopping area are a few minutes' walk away, and the Homomonument stands on the square outside.