Only half the size of Maine, tiny Holland began as a fishing village in the center of Europe's marshy lowlands. After the founding of the VOC (Verenigde Oost Indische or Dutch East India Company) in 1602, overseas commerce and conquest became Holland's main source of wealth. Holland and the Netherlands Antilles (Bonaire, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, St. Eustatius, Saba) are remnants of the Dutch empire also known as The Netherlands. Its picturesque capital, Amsterdam, is a thriving city of 17th-century homes encircled by canals emanating from the Amstel River. Families with younger children may want to bypass Amsterdam's legal Red Light District (half nude women lounging in glass display windows or doorways), the Homomonument, brown bars where hashish is traded, and other eye-opening aspects of this ultra-liberal city. Fortunately, those who narrow their focus to Amsterdam's maritime culture and excellent art museums won't be disappointed.

For for Little Ones

(up to 8 years)

Netherlands Maritime Museum Amsterdam
(+31 (0) 20 5232 222)
"Pirates, ahoy! Ahoy, thee pirates! I'm coming!" So calls out 10-year-old Harold from Manchester, England, as he races down the pier to the the beautiful 1749-era M/S Amsterdam. The full-size cargo ship is a replica of VOC vessels used to trade with former Dutch colonies. Today, safely moored on the Amstel River outside this museum, it is Amsterdam's favorite playground. Inside, the enormous museum is a bounty of ships' models: antique sailboats, schooners, warships and pleasure craft and outside, artillery and cannons have become sturdy objects to climb on. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10am-5pm, except in the summer when it is open seven days a week.

[Editor's Note: On January 8, 2007, the Netherlands Maritime Museum closed its doors for renovations. Although it should take nearly two years to complete, once it reopens, the museum will be completely refurbished and will be able to accommodate the recent increase in visitors, provide easier access to exhibits and also allow the 350 year old building to have climate control.]

Tropenmuseum
Linnaeusstraat 2 next to Oosterpark
(+31 (0) 20 5688 200)
This collection of ethnographic displays of life in Batavia (now Jakarta, Indonesia ruled by the Dutch for 150 years), Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean (all conquered by the WIC/ West India Company) includes life-like exhibits embellished with photo collages and indigenous music in a surround-sound learning environment. Huts, yurts, longboats and more are peopled by costumed wax figures from various cultures. The Kindermuseum (+31 (0)20 5688 711) is within the building, and offers multicultural children's activities in Dutch only, by reservation only. The 90-minute sessions given Wednesday, weekends, and over school holidays are only for kids 6-12. The fun continues nearby at the Dappermarkt Street Market.

Artis Zoo
Here a great zoo, geology museum, greenhouses, and an aquarium provide lots of leg-stretching. [NEEDS MORE INFO.]

Fun for Older Kids

(8 to 16)

The Van Gogh Museum
Paulus Potterstraat 7
(+31 (0) 20 5705 200)
This admittedly remarkable collection is a tough-to-justify stop on any youngster's itinerary, though severed ear stories may give you enough time to glide through several galleries. Fans of Van Gogh will be delighted at the breadth of the collection (largely made up of loans from private Japanese collectors), which showcases the diversity of talent exhibited by this painter before depression overcame him.

Anne Frankhuis
Prinsengracht 267
(+31 (0) 20 5567 100)
This row house nestled alongside a quiet canal was home to the celebrated teen author Anne Frank. Her stirring diary of life under the Nazi terror was discovered after her death and has been translated into 55 languages. Words cannot convey the experience of touring the family's secret chambers; it's as evocative for children as it is for adults. Look into booking tickets online, as the lines can be very long to get in. Around the corner, somehow appropriate, is the Greenpeace Shop (Leliegracht 53, Centrum) with neat-for-teens beach towels, souvenirs, T-shirts and more.

NeMo
Oosterdok 2
+31 (0) 20 5313 233
NEMO is a fabulous, blue-green building designed to look like a ship’s bow jutting out over the water in the city's Docklands neighborhood. Hands-on activities teach visitors about the sciences and technology in an exciting four-story space, with exhibits covering many fields of science, technology and engineering. NeMo welcomes all ages, but their target audience is 4 to 16-year-olds, and their parents.

Fun for the Whole Family

As charming as Amsterdam is, easy-to-locate transportation and well-sign-posted streets are not its strong suit. That's why booking a privately guided city tour is the best way to maximize sightseeing for the family with limited time. If this is beyond your budget, consider a guided group tour by bike or canal boat.

Culture & City Guide: Bregte Viergever
0031/6 4226 4139; viergever@planet.nl
On our summer 2008 visit, we had the pleasure of touring the “hidden” city (ie: older alleys and historic lanes) witwith professional art historian Bregte Viergever. She tirelessly brought the city, its history and the art of Rembrandt and Van Gogh to life for all ages in our group. Bregte’s specialty with families is a full-day city cycle tour; she rents the bikes and leads the way on an unforgettably fun and educational outing. Her rates are Euros €164/half day or €275/full day with or without bike rentals.

Yellow Bike Guided Tours
(+31 (0) 20 6206 940)
"Yikes, Bikes!" Amsterdam's official bike lanes parallel the sidewalks, so pedestrians always have to look both ways before venturing into the street. In a city with 1,200 bridges and more than 550,000 bicycles, a guided tour by bike might be just your family's speed. Yellow Bike offers 3-hour city rides and 6-hour countryside rides. Holland is a delightfully flat country and these are excursions that even young children can manage. There are also many bike rental shops in different neighborhoods and, especially on weekends when traffic is quieter, children can manage the bike lanes easily.

Flower Market [NEEDS ADDRESS AND MORE INFO]

The Flower Market, especially in spring and summer, is a canalside treat of color and frangrance. In addition to beautiful cut flowers and houseplants, families will find silly souvenirs ranging from tiny Delft blue ceramic clogs to plastic windmills and coffee mugs. Ignore the tulips or other flower bulbs; readers planning to bring them into the US should only buy at the airport, where florists have them "certified" to clear US Customs' stringent agricultural laws. Other easy-to-carry gifts include Dutch biscuits, cheese, and packets of those wonderful colored sprinkles that the Dutch serve on breakfast toast. If you miss the grocery store in town (they're hard to find), there's a terrific one at Schipol Airport (as well as a wonderful indoor playground and nursery.)

Rijksmuseum
Jan Luijkenstraat 1
(+31 (0) 20 6747 000)
Though famous for its Dutch Renaissance collection, this museum with its varied collections, is much more successful with kids. Although only a small pavilion is open until restoration of the huge galleries is complete in 2012, it's easy to tour. Once all the collection is reopened, be sure to admire the intricate miniatures and the awesome 17th-century "Doll's House of Petronella Oortman," all fascinating for anyone over age 5. The Asiatic Art collection features some X-men style Japanese Edo armor worn by samurai and kris, Indonesian curved-blade swords thought to bring magical powers to the wearer. Best of all is the Dutch History collection; arms and armor left by explorers from an Arctic expedition of 1597, nine huge models of VOC trading ships, and the double-decker William Rex man-of-war ship. If you don't wish to explore on your own, for €1 your kids ages 6-12 can take the tour with Gordon the Warden. They will be led through the museum in search of five masterpieces: the aforementioned model ships and doll's house, as well as two portraits of Amsterdam's most powerful citizens, a fine mess by Jan Steen and finally Rembrandt's "The Night Watch." Tickets for this exciting pursuit through the Rijksmuseum are sold at the Information Desk, and the gardens and fountains can be enjoyed afterwards.

Holland International Canal Cruises
Central Station Pier
(+31 (0) 20 625 3035)
This company offers the more traditional canal tours in the historic center of the city,. Their 90-minute "I Amsterdam" cruise tours the latest happenings in the Eastern Docklands with two English language guided departures daily. but families can do some of this cruising on their own, by hopping on a Canal Bus, the public ferry system that departs from the Central Station and sails throughout the city.We recommend an early visit to Central Station. Located in the city's heart, it is a large train terminal with flower, film, and shoe-repair shops, banks, phone card vendors, the main trolley terminal, a canal boat stop, and a branch of the city's excellent VVV Tourist Office. Don't hesitate to look for brochures and essential maps. The Amsterdam Pass, sold by the VVV, is a terrific value. It provides discounted transport and tours, free or discounted museum admissions, restaurant bargains, and even a city map. The Museumboot and the Canal Bus are both a really fun way to get around.

Hidden Amsterdam

Woven between the traditional canal houses of the oldest part of the city are light-filled galleries and covered walkways showcasing the city’s history. All ages can appreciate a walk through this very pleasant space and its surrounding lanes, few of which see the tourist hordes found on Dam Square. If you have time, dip into the intriguing Amsterdams Historisch Museum. Back in the 7th century, Amsterdam was a city of fewer than 80,000 inhabitants, and Beginjhof Lane, its gardens and the English Reformed Church in the museum’s neighborhood, transport visitors back to this era. The original red brick residences for single Catholic women are here, across from the Beginjhof Kapel, a Catholic chapel opened after the church became Presbyterian after the Reformation. Look up to see how the sculpted gable stones denote the occupation of each house’s original owner. Wooden houses are often more than a century older.