Located in the center of Amsterdam and about 20 minutes walking distance from Central station is situated Anne Frank Museum. This is basically the hiding place of two families. During the period of World War II Anne Frank’s was also one of the Jewish Victims of Nazi persecutions. At this place Anne Frank wrote her famous diary in her hiding period. The museum was officially opened for visitors in the year 1960. But when it was felt that it can’t be maintained only through donation so the entrance fee for the visitors was also initiated in 1971. This museum lies in the center of Amsterdam.
This is a fascinating and one of the most famous attractions for the visitors. While visiting this place one comes through the harsh truth in history of one of the cruelest period. One can breathe the atmosphere of that period in the rooms of this museum. This building provided shelter, food and supplies to two families in those miserable days when they use to hide themselves behind a movable bookcase and continued their daily activities in the annex to remain undetected. The museum houses a remarkable collection of letters, postcards, photographs and other objects discovered by Otto Frank. The graphic room is one of the true pictures of that period. The famous diary of Anne Frank is on display in exhibition of Anne Frank museum.
This museum speaks the untold story of many of the Jewish in the war time. The Netherlands was invaded by Germany after Nazi in 1940. The Frank family was trying to escape from this by hiding. In the same sequence this family including Otto Frank, Edith Frank and their daughters Margot and Anne hid themselves in this building located on the Prinsengracht in July 1942. Anne Frank’s father also had a business here. Doorway to the annex was concealed with a movable bookcase. They hid themselves to avoid revealing and capturing by the German Nazis. The office personnel helped them. They use to supply them food and the news of external world.
This building is having two parts the front one and the back annex. The secret annex consisted of the two upper floors and a dimly lit attic.
The business of Frank was settled in the front house while the uppermost floor of the back became their hiding place. This group got betrayed from this place after about two years. They got arrested in the year 1944 as it was deceived by one of the informer. In March 1945 in Berlin-Belsen, a few weeks before when this camp was liberated, Anne and Margot expired due to typhus. Otto Frank was the only member who survived after the war and returned back. During this hiding period Anne Frank wrote a diary in which she described everything about their daily life. It reflects the period of their isolation, their fear to be caught and many more in the back annex. This diary was found by Miep Gies after the war that he delivered to Otto Frank.
First edition of this diary was appeared in Dutch in 1947 and since then it has been published in about 55 languages. You will feel quite familiar with the place if you have read the diary and if not then also it’s an exciting place to visit to gain some new experience. To a wonder the upstairs area is quite spacious. The museum has been expanded and now it holds a good facility for the display of the whole story of the hiding period of Frank’s family.
The best way to beat the long lines of visitors is to obtain tickets online or from Amsterdam Tourist Offices. This will save you from waiting in the long queue. Besides this it could be done by buying the tickets a little before it opens or before it close, keeping in mind that you will have to consume at least one hour (excluding time to wait in line) to visit the place. The entrance is last allowed before 30 minutes of closing. The timing of opening vary a little according to the seasons as-
March 15 - September 14 ( 9 a.m. – 9 p.m.)
September 15- March14 ( 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.)
Entrance fees differ for different age groups. Some of the areas are not suitable for kids to visit like the graphic room. Official tours are not available but display is laid in English as well as Dutch. Photography and videos inside the museum are not allowed. Large luggage and child buggies could be left in the hallway itself. Multimedia space is also present here in which visitors can go on a virtual journey of Anne Franks House.
Exhibition, museum store and café (serves drinks, snacks and simple lunch) are available for visitors in new buildingbut the old part of the building is not wheel- chair accessible so steep, narrow staircase might be an obstacle for some of the people. Thus the museum is partially accessible for Wheelchairs but not accessible for physically disabled person. Braille guides are available here. On-site museum shops are accessible that sells publication of Anne Frank as well as copies of “The Diary of Anne Frank” in different languages.
Tour guides might not be available but a tour brochure is provided at the entrance. This brochure provides you with the detailed information of the rooms in the museum. Transport facility is well organized. Boat museum and canal bus have the stoppage in front of the Anne Frank House at the ‘Westermarkt’, the nearby bus stop. From here you can walk onto the Priensengracht. It takes about 20 minutes by train to Central Station from Schiphol Airport. Parking space for car is very little in the vicinity of museum and parking fees has to be paid. Amsterdam Tulip Museum is also nearby.