Moco Museum
The Moco Museum (Modern Contemporary Museum Amsterdam) is an independent museum located in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, dedicated to exhibiting modern and contemporary art. The museum was founded with the mission of attracting broader and younger audiences, and of making art accessible to the public. With artists like Banksy, Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein, Moco Museum offers visitors a collection of subversive art in which irony and humor are used to reflect on modern society.
Moco Museum is situated on Museumplein (Museum Square), in the historic Villa Alsberg, a townhouse designed in 1904 by Eduard Cuypers the nephew of Pierre Cuypers, designer of Amsterdam Central Station and the Rijksmuseum. The townhouse was one of the first privately-owned residencies on Museumplein and remained so until 1939. The Moco Museum is just a few steps away from the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum and Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. It is therefore easy to combine your visit to the Moco Museum with a tour of the other important museums.
Address
Moco Museum
Honthorststraat 20 (Museumplein)
1071 DE Amsterdam
More information
- Moco Museum Official Website
- Make your reservations for the Moco Museum online and avoid waiting in a queue
- Wikipedia
Other sources
This article is meant for the vast majority of travelers and covers the most important options. If you are looking for detailed information, or if you are traveling to or from less visited locations, then consult other sources:
- Moco Museum on Google Maps & Google Street View
- Travel planner NS (Dutch Railways)
- GVB The municipal public transport operator for Amsterdam
- 9292 For planning the entire trip, including bus, tram and metro
- 9292 Bus/tram stop Rijksmuseum > Departures
- OV-chipkaart Home
How do I get there?
The city center of Amsterdam is small. Since the Moco Museum is situated just a little south of the city center, many people visit the museum simply by foot or by rented bike. For example, a walk from Dam Square to the Moco Museum would take 20 minutes and you’ll pass the famous canals of Amsterdam along the way. It is possible to park your car near the Moco Museum. However, the number of parking places available is limited and parking your car in Amsterdam is very expensive. Under the Museumplein is a supervised underground parking garage. The entrance is at the side of the Concertgebouw, next to the Albert Heijn supermarket. Taxis in The Netherlands are expensive and the Moco Museum is in a busy area, so the best way to visit the museum is by foot, rented bike, or public transport.
Public transport options
The Moco Museum is located just south of the city center of Amsterdam, in a busy area. There are many public transport options, which can make it slightly confusing. The one which is the best for you, depends on your starting point (e.g. hotel or railway station). You can reach the Moco Museum from 9 railway stations in the Amsterdam area. Located at the Museumplein (Museum Square) are three major museums. Museumplein is a nice public square. So, if you arrive anywhere near Museumplein (Museum Square) by public transport and don’t mind to walk a couple of minutes, you should be fine.
The map below shows the main tram and metro stops near the Moco Museum.
(Click to open a large map in new tab)
The metro/tram map below, might help you to find the best options for you.
(Click to open a large map in new tab)
Best options
T = Tram, M = Metro, B = Bus, > = Transfer
| From | Number | Stop | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amsterdam Centraal station | T2 or T12 | Van Baerlestraat | Stops around the corner of the Moco Museum |
| Amsterdam Amstel station | T12 | Van Baerlestraat | Stops around the corner of the Moco Museum |
| Amsterdam Sloterdijk station | T19 | Spiegelgracht | + 5 minutes walk |
| Amsterdam Lelylaan station | T1 | Spiegelgracht | + 5 minutes walk |
| Amsterdam Zuid station | M52 | Vijzelgracht | + 8 minutes walk |
| Amsterdam RAI station | M52 | Vijzelgracht | + 8 minutes walk |
| Duivendrecht station | M50 > M52 | Vijzelgracht | Transfer at station Zuid |
| Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA station | M50 > M52 | Vijzelgracht | Transfer at station Zuid |
| Amsterdam Muiderpoort railway station | T1 | Spiegelgracht | + 5 minutes walk |
| Amsterdam Noord | M52 | Vijzelgracht | + 8 minutes walk |
| Amsterdam Airport Schiphol | B397 | Rijksmuseum | Stops next to Museumplein (Museum Square) |
| Schiphol Airport railway station | Train > M52 | Vijzelgracht | + 8 minutes walk More information |
Entrances
Moco Museum is situated on Museumplein (Museum Square). The entrance is just a few steps from the square at the walkway leading to Paulus Potterstraat. To avoid the lines and save time, you can make your reservations for the Moco Museum online and avoid waiting in a queue.
Metro 52
Since July 2018, metro 52 (North/Southline) runs between station Zuid and Centraal Station (and on to Amsterdam-Noord). The metro stop at Vijzelgracht, exit Vijzelgracht, is just an 8 minutes walk from the Moco Museum. Make sure you travel in the right direction. Use the metro map below to determine whether you have to take metro 52 in the north or south direction.
After exiting the metro train follow the signs Uitgang (exit) Vijzelgracht / Museumplein (Museum Square).
Use the 2 escalators to go upstairs and exit the station. As soon as you’ve left the last escalator, turn to the left and make a 180 degree turn. Walk to the corner at Weteringschans (only 30 meters). At the corner, turn to to the right. There’s a signpost pointing to the Museumplein (Museum Square) at the corner.
Now follow the Weteringschans to the tram stop Spiegelgracht. When you look to the left at Weteringschans, you might see the Rijksmuseum. Museumplein (Museum Square) and the Moco Museum is just behind the Rijksmuseum. Use the pedestrian crossing at the end of the tram stop to cross Weteringschans. Take care, at busy moments cars, trams, taxis, and bicycles usually come from everywhere at this point. Cyclists in Amsterdam might ring their bicycle bells, but usually don’t stop and might kill you.
Now just follow the sidewalk to the Rijksmuseum. You’ll cross the bridge at Stadhouderskade. Use the pedestrian crossing to cross the street. Take your time and wait for the green pedestrian light, as this street is usually very busy.
As soon as you’ve reached the other side, walk trough the arcade of the Rijksmuseum to the Museumplein (Museum Square) at the south side of the museum.
During the cold months of the year you might see an artificial skating rink in the middle of Museumplein (Museum Square). Keep walking straight ahead at the right side of the square.
To make sure you walk in the right direction, take a look at the green signpost, pointing to the Stedelijk Museum and Van Gogh Museum. The Moco Museum is in the same direction. Follow the walkway and keep walking straight ahead for 2 minutes. The Moco Museum is the first museum in the row. Next are the the Van Gogh Museum and the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. The entrance of the Moco Museum is just off the square.
Metro (51), 53, 54
This is the old metro line (Eastline), starting at Centraal Station, and going to Amsterdam-Southeast (Bijlmer, Amsterdam Zuid-Oost). You can still take all 3 metros and transfer to tram 1, 7, 19 just outside metro stop Weesperplein. Get off at tram stop Spiegelgracht. From the tram stop it’s a 5 minutes walk to the Moco Museum.
Tram 1, 7, 19
These trams pass the Rijksmuseum and the Museumplein (Museum Square) behind it at the city center (north) side. Get off at the tram and bus stop Spiegelgracht. From the tram stop it’s a 5 minutes walk to the museum.
You can find the images of this route here.
Tram 2, 5, 12
Tram 2, 5, and 12 stop at the backside of the Stedelijk Museum at Paulus Potterstraat, just around the corner of the Moco Museum. Leave the tram at tram stop Van Baerlestraat. Walking to the main entrance takes only a minute or 2. When exiting the tram, just cross the street, using the pedestrian crossing at the end of the tram stop. Follow the grayish façade of the old Van Gogh Museum (you’ll pass the group entrance). Just keep walking straight ahead for a minute. The garden of The Moco Museum is at the corner. At the corner, turn to the right (Honthorststraat) in direction of the Museumplein (Museum Square) and simply walk to the entrance.
[alternative] You can also get off tram 2, 5 or 12 at tram stop Rijksmuseum and approach the Moco Museum from the Rijksmuseum side, as the museum is in between the 2 tram stops.
Tram 3
Tram 3 circles within the old part of Amsterdam, but outside the city center and canal area, passing the Museumplein (Museum Square) at the Concertgebouw (south) side of the Museumplein. This tram stop is also close to the Moco Museum. You can take this tram for example, if you’ve visited the neighborhood called De Pijp (The Pipe) with it’s lively Albert Cuyp Market, just south of the city center. Tram 3 also stops just in front of exit Ceintuurbaan of De Pijp metro station at metro line 52 (North/Southline).
Get off at tram stop Museumplein. Cross the street to Museumplein (Museum Square) and simply walk to the Moco Museum at the left/west side of the square. This takes 3 minutes. Tram 5 and 12 also stop at tram stop Museumplein.
Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
The Amsterdam Airport Express is a fast and easy way to travel by bus between Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and the center of Amsterdam. Every 7.5 minutes bus line 397 depasrts from bus stops B15-19 at Schiphol. The bus brings you directly to bus and tram stop Rijksmuseum, next to the Museumplein (Museum Square). Walking to the entrance of the Moco Museum takes only a minute or 3.
Schiphol Airport railway station
The railway station is beneath the airport. Every 6 minutes, you can take a train to Amsterdam Zuid station. 7 minutes later you’ll arrive. From station Zuid, you can take metro 52 (also every 6 minutes) and exit 5 minutes later at metro stop Vijzelgracht. From Vijzelgracht, it’s an 8 minutes walk to the Moco Museum. So, it’s possible to travel from Schiphol Airport railway station to the Moco Museum in about half an hour. For a description of the walking route to the museum, click here.
Enjoy your trip to the Moco Museum!
Last update: January 12, 2020
