A Museum Visit That’s Different From What You’re Used To

When you hear the word museum, most people picture somber collections on somber displays behind glass, quiet visitors moving silently from one piece to the next.

Basically, a room full of things. But there’s an exciting new worldwide trend that’s changing the way we interact with art, and nowhere is this revolution more visible than in Amsterdam. Here, going to a museum doesn’t involve merely looking at the art — they make you feel it instead, and much more.

A New Take on Art Appreciation

Museums aren’t just a home for history anymore — they’re an opportunity for connection. And more than ever, travelers crave that connection through translatable, sensory experiences. Younger demographics are particularly seeking authentic encounters that cater to connection. So instead of standing idly by and observing, they are looking to be a part of the story. This new phase is reenvisioning the concept of a cultural destination, changing it from a stuffy time capsule into an engaging, interactive environment that invites discourse and contemplation.

Amsterdam museums offer a perfect example of this new mentality, and at its height is the modern art museum Amsterdam. While traditional institutions showcase vintage artifacts, the modern museum makes sure that all the items on display are approachable and relatable. Many of the pieces in contemporary museums reflect current culture and current events.

Why It Feels So Different

You’re not in the type of museum where you need to walk single file and hold in your giggles from excitement. It’s a fun environment that’s colorful and often unexpected. There’s a healthy amount of humor and social critique in current displays that help make the environment a place for anyone, not just those who identify you as an art fanatic.

Street artists who have become household names and icons, mixing with new names and new ideas, keep the displays fresh and engaging. Many of the displays are set up so you can be a part of the art, walk through a room where you lose your sense of direction, or joyfully take photos in displays meant to be shared together. The art isn’t made for distance; it’s meant to be experienced.

A Space for Everyone

The best things about these museums? They are for everyone. Here, you’ll see people walking around with friends, families with toddlers in tow, and solo travellers all enjoying what they’re seeing and feeling. Young people appreciate the themes of the exhibitions — identity, technology, pollution, new sustainable materials, and social commitment, basically the things they care about. Older people notice that art hasn’t stopped fulfilling the social commitment to change and to start new conversations.

So this museum becomes a space for dialogue between different generations and cultures. Instead of speaking quietly to each other about the Vatican-like silence that you’re supposed to keep in front of a very old canvas, people are laughing, talking, and, in some cases, even arguing about how to explain what we’re looking at.

Making the Most of Your Visit

If you find yourself in Amsterdam soon and are looking for a little something different, factor in a few hours to experience this. Just go with the flow and see what happens. The slower you move through, the more there is to discover and the more there is to discover the more to experience. Oh, and feel free to touch the art. And bring a camera. This will all make sense when you arrive.

And on top of all of this, bring a cat’s curiosity. You don’t need to remember the names of centuries-old art movements here either. Just an open mind and the ability to have some curiosity for what’s happening in front of you.