Madame Tussauds Amsterdam: Interactive Wax Museum

The building housing Madame Tussauds Amsterdam was constructed between 1914 and 1917. It was designed by the Dutch architect A.J. Joling in the Um 1800 style.

The Dutch architect A.J. Joling was responsible for designing the building that Madame Tussauds Amsterdam currently occupies. He designed the structure in the Um 1800 style.

On April 11, 1917, the building at Dam Square, which later became Madame Tussauds Amsterdam, first opened its doors as the second Peek & Cloppenburg store in the Netherlands.

The idea to establish a wax museum in Amsterdam originated with Josephine Tussaud, a businesswoman and great-great-granddaughter of the original Madame Tussauds founder, Marie Tussaud.

Madame Tussauds Amsterdam was founded on February 19, 1970, by The Tussauds Group. It was notably the first Madame Tussauds to open in mainland Europe and served as the first foreign branch of the British institution.

Approximately one year after its founding, Madame Tussauds Amsterdam first opened its doors to the public in 1971. The museum was initially located on the main commercial street, Kalverstraat, marking its debut outside the United Kingdom.

In 1991, two decades after its initial opening, Madame Tussauds Amsterdam moved into the upper floors of the Peek & Cloppenburg building at Dam Square, which remains its current prominent location.

Eighty-four years after its original opening in 1917, the building housing Madame Tussauds Amsterdam was designated as a Rijksmonument in 2001. This status recognizes it as a national heritage site.

In January 2012, Madame Tussauds Amsterdam underwent a modernization effort. Following this upgrade, the museum began incorporating interactive themes into its various exhibits to enhance visitor experience.