If you tire of highbrow culture, sample a lighter approach to art devoted to a single theme at one of Amsterdam‘s quirkiest museums: the Katten Kabinet (Cat Cabinet). While professionally curated, this homage to all things feline has a humorous edge. The collection features two floors of paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures by Picasso, Rembrandt, Toulouse-Lautrec and other renowned artists, all with cats on center stage. A gift shop on the first floor proffers cat-themed posters and souvenirs. Even if cats aren’t your thing, it may be worth the €6 entry fee just for the chance to enter a posh canal house on the Herengracht, where Dutch gentry resided in Holland’s Golden Age. Built in 1667 as a home for the wealthy van Loon brothers, the structure was restored several times before affluent Dutchie Bob Meijer turned it into a museum in 1990, dedicated to the memory of his red tomcat John Pierpont Morgan (named after the American banker). In 2004 it served as a set for the Hollywood blockbuster Oceans 12. A-list guests have included former American president John Adams and Amsterdam mayor Jan Calkoen. The present owner still resides on the upper floor of the building with his family and several felines who wander through the museum at will.

More Recommendations

The Cat's Meow: A Museum for Feline Fanciers

If you tire of highbrow culture, sample a lighter approach to art devoted to a single theme at one of Amsterdam‘s quirkiest museums: the Katten Kabinet (Cat Cabinet). While professionally curated, this homage to all things feline has a humorous edge. The collection features two floors of paintings, drawings, prints and sculptures by Picasso, Rembrandt, Toulouse-Lautrec and other renowned artists, all with cats on center stage. A gift shop on the first floor proffers cat-themed posters and souvenirs. Even if cats aren’t your thing, it may be worth the €6 entry fee just for the chance to enter a posh canal house on the Herengracht, where Dutch gentry resided in Holland’s Golden Age. Built in 1667 as a home for the wealthy van Loon brothers, the structure was restored several times before affluent Dutchie Bob Meijer turned it into a museum in 1990, dedicated to the memory of his red tomcat John Pierpont Morgan (named after the American banker). In 2004 it served as a set for the Hollywood blockbuster Oceans 12. A-list guests have included former American president John Adams and Amsterdam mayor Jan Calkoen. The present owner still resides on the upper floor of the building with his family and several felines who wander through the museum at will.

Information on this page, including website, location, and opening hours, is subject to have changed since this page was last published. If you would like to report anything that’s inaccurate, let us know at notification@afar.com.

Nearby highlights
Sign up for our newsletter
Join more than a million of the world’s best travelers. Subscribe to the Daily Wander newsletter.
More From AFAR