12 reasons why you want to visit the renovated ARTIS Aquarium in Amsterdam

This is by far the opening my family and I have been looking forward to the most this year. After a five-year restoration, the iconic ARTIS Aquarium is finally reopening its doors. And believe me: this has become much more than just an aquarium. Of course, you can feast your eyes on colorful fish, cuttlefish, coral reefs, and extraordinary marine animals, but in the meantime, you also discover how water literally connects everything on Earth. From the Amsterdam canals to the deep sea. As far as I'm concerned, the new ARTIS Aquarium should be on everyone's Amsterdam bucket list . Why? You can read all about it in this article, full of fun facts and background information.

Mandarin seed fish © ARTIS, Edwin Butter

12 reasons why you want to visit the new ARTIS Aquarium

1. You will soon look at a building you may have cycled past dozens of times with different eyes.

You may have known the iconic Aquarium Building from the outside for years, but inside it has never looked like this. The building, dating back to 1882, is one of the oldest surviving aquariums in the world and has undergone an impressive restoration over the past five years. For that reason alone, this is a place you, as an Amsterdammer, will want to see at least once.

2. Finally, you can discover almost the entire monument.

What many people don't know is that large parts of the building were inaccessible for years. Now you can view about ninety percent of the monument. Even the historic catacombs and the famous Lloyd filter system are now part of the route. It is precisely those hidden spots that pique my curiosity.

© ARTIS, Christiaan de Bruijne

3. This is not an aquarium as you know it

Don't expect a row of aquariums where you walk from tank to tank. The renovated ARTIS Aquarium feels more like a mix of a museum, a nature experience, and an interactive journey of discovery. Everywhere, you are taken along on stories about water, nature, science, and the world beneath the water's surface.

Cuttlefish © ARTIS, Ronald van Weeren

4. You take a world trip without leaving Amsterdam

Within a few steps, you travel from the Amsterdam canals to the Amazon, from mangroves to the Red Sea, and from the North Sea to the deep sea. Every room feels like a new chapter and shows how different underwater worlds can be.

5. You discover animals whose existence you might not even have known

Of course, you see fish here, but also starfish, cuttlefish, frogs, lobsters, sea urchins, salamanders, and all kinds of special reef inhabitants. In total, about 250 different animal species live in the Aquarium. Chances are you will say several times: “Wait, what is *that*?”

South American sea nettle © ARTIS, Ronald van Weeren

6. You will suddenly look at water in a completely different way.

The overarching theme of the revamped Aquarium is water. It sounds simple, but that is precisely what makes it so interesting. You discover how everything is interconnected: from rain clouds and rivers to oceans, animals, and ultimately, ourselves.

7. Children will not just look here, but above all discover for themselves.

What I perhaps like best of all is that children are challenged everywhere here to get hands-on. They can make whirlpools, create digital clouds, cast a fishing line, and even build their own submarine for a virtual trip to the deep sea. This isn't one of those museums where you constantly have to say "don't touch."

© ARTIS, Kirsten van Santen

8. Even the Amsterdam canal suddenly turns out to be fascinating

One of the sections I am most curious about is the space over Dutch waters. After all, how much do you actually know about what lives beneath the surface of our canals, ditches, and rivers? Here you discover species you normally never stop to think about, including the endangered European eel.

9. You're also in the right place if you love art.

Throughout the building, new artworks inspired by water, nature, and life under the sea can be found. As a result, the Aquarium sometimes feels almost like a museum of contemporary art. It is precisely this combination that makes it surprising.

© ARTIS, Christiaan de Bruijne

10. The building itself is perhaps just as impressive as the aquariums.

During the restoration, historical details were carefully brought back. Original sightlines, monumental spaces, and beautiful architecture ensure that you regularly look up instead of just at the aquariums.

11. Behind the scenes, the Aquarium is fully ready for the future.

What you don't see immediately, but is good to know: sustainability plays a major role in the renovated building. From solar panels and underfloor heating to innovative aquariums made of self-healing concrete. It shows that heritage and the future can go hand in hand.

12. This is an outing that will make both you and your children happy.

Some outings are especially fun for children. Others, however, are for adults. The ARTIS Aquarium feels like a place where both come together. While children go on a journey of discovery, you yourself remain looking around in wonder. And honestly? That is perhaps the greatest strength of this reopening.

Leopard triggerfish © ARTIS, Edwin Butter

Just a quick recap of everything regarding the new ARTIS Aquarium

• Reopening: June 13, 2026 (accessible from June 14 with regular ARTIS tickets)
• Location: ARTIS Park, Plantage Kerklaan 38-40, Amsterdam
• Opening hours: daily from 09.00am to 18.00pm
• Tickets: admission with a regular ARTIS ticket
• Fun for: families, animal lovers, museum fans, and anyone curious about the underwater world
• New: 90% of the monument is now accessible, including the historic catacombs.
• On display: approximately 250 animal species and interactive installations
• Extra special: one of the oldest still existing aquariums in the world
• More information: Read more about the renovated ARTIS Aquarium here >>

I already know that this will be a place we return to often in the coming years. Not only because there is so much to see, but precisely because you discover something new with every visit. So whether you are going with children, wandering through ARTIS for an afternoon, or are simply curious about one of the city's most beautiful monuments: go ahead and add the renovated ARTIS Aquarium to your list.

Pufferfish © ARTIS, Edwin Butter