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As soon as you know you’re going to Amsterdam, book those babies. The front and back of the house are both poorly accessible for the disabled. The 'Dutch bone breaking stairs', as Anne Frank described it in her diary , and the layout of the building are the cause of this. For more than two years, Anne Frank and her family hid in the Secret Annex of the building at Prinsengracht 263, where Anne's father, Otto Frank, had his business. The Van Pels family and Fritz Pfeffer also had their hiding place here. As the capital of the Netherlands and with more than a million people living in its urban area, Amsterdam is packed with historical sites that are well worth a visit.
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The Gestapo turned up at the premises and their hiding place was given away. The family’s belongings were taken by the Nazis and all of the residents of the Secret Annex were deported. The Franks then decided to move into their secret hiding place soon after, they were later joined by Hermann Van Pels along with his wife Auguste and their son Peter.
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The bathroom is the only room that was left pretty much as it was found. It was shared by the eight inhabitants of the Secret Annex. There was a sink and toilet, and they could only use it during certain times in order to avoid being heard by the workers in the warehouse. Through the bookcase is the entrance hallway to the hideout. The room that belonged to the Frank family is to the left of here and the room that was occupied by the Pels is up the stairs. In this otherwise unassuming hallway landing the famous revolving bookcase hides the entrance the Anne’s secret hideout.
Explore the Jordaan after your visit
Demolition seemed inevitable, the former hiding place was completely empty and dilapidated. Every Tuesday at 10am CET all tickets become available for a visit six weeks later. You can opt for a museum visit or a museum visit with an introductory program.
Anne Frank House in Amsterdam on the map

The Frank family moved to Amsterdam, Netherlands in 1933. Hostilities broke out in 1939 and within a year, the Netherlands found itself under Nazi occupation with the Jewish population experiencing increasing persecution. The people in the Secret Annex followed the advance of the Allied Forces on the radio.
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Then turn right (north) onto Prinsengracht and walk up one block. In the peak spring and summer season ticket timeslots sell out quickly. There is generally more availability in the winter off-season – as of early 2024, tickets are available for all dates in the 6 week period. Nearby is the Westerkerk church tower (currently under renovation) which has fine views over the house and the city.
She specializes in quick trips throughout Europe and the Americas with a focus on World War II museums, memorials, battlefields, and other sites of interest. Originally from Memphis, TN, she currently lives in Boston with her husband and two feline commanders. Another highly rated hotel is the Mr. Jordaan, just a 6-minute walk from the Anne Frank House.
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Shortly after the book was published, visitors were shown around by the employees who had hidden the families and could see the secret rooms. A campaign to save the building and to list it as a protected monument was started by the Dutch paper Het Vrije Volk on 23 November 1955. The building was saved by campaigners who staged a protest outside the building on the day of demolition.
Anne Frank House guided tours
The museum allows visitors to see the moving bookcase, walk through the cramped secret annex and gain a true appreciation of the hardship this group endured in their fight for survival. When Anne’s older sister Margot received a call-up to report for a so-called ‘labour camp’ in Nazi Germany on 5 July 1942, her parents were suspicious. They did not believe the call-up was about work and decided to go into hiding the next day in order to escape persecution. In the spring of 1942, Anne’s father had started furnishing a hiding place in the annex of his business premises at Prinsengracht 263. Would you like to know more about the Frank family’s life on Merwedeplein? Historian Rian Verhoeven gives guided tours of the square and surrounding area which feature Anne Frank and her neighbours.
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The demand for online tickets exceeds the supply, especially during holiday periods and weekends. We therefore recommend that you plan your visit to the Anne Frank House and reserve an online ticket in advance. The entrance to the Secret Annex was hidden behind a revolving cupboard that was specially made for this purpose.
The office staff helped the people in hiding with food and brought 'news from outside'. On August 4, 1944, the hiding place was betrayed and the people in hiding were deported to various concentration camps. Tickets on the Anne Frank site can only be booked up to 6 weeks in advance. Every week on Tuesday at 1000 CEST further tickets are released to maintain the 6 week availability.
The museum displays many original letters, photos and objects belonging to the Frank family as well as to the van Pels and Fritz Pfeffer. Until his death in 1980, Otto remained closely involved with the Anne Frank House and the museum. He hoped that readers of the diary would become aware of the dangers of discrimination, racism, and hatred of Jews. Stepping into the Anne Frank House, you're transported back in time and can sense the claustrophobic reality of the hiders in the annex. You'll see how the rooms have been meticulously preserved in their original state and get a glimpse of the daily life of the Frank family and the others who took refuge here.
Anne’s original diary is displayed in the renovated 265 Prinsengracht, next door to the original hideaway. Otto devoted himself to editing and getting the diary published; it was first published in Dutch in 1947. The Anne Frank Foundation was founded, with Otto’s cooperation, in 1957, with the aim of preserving the canal house as a museum.
Two years later, in 1942, Otto set about arranging a what was to become the family’s famous hidden annex with the help of his colleague Hermann Van Pels. Anne turned 13 the same year and was gifted a red checked-print diary for her birthday. Stepping through the secreted door into the annex, visiting Anne Frank House, the place where she penned her diary and learning about her life is an experience that you will not forget in a hurry.
Anne Frank House is worth the visit if you are in the Second World War or Jewish history in Europe. Follow me as I fill my life with dreams, drop the weight and inspire you to live your dreams. Claudia was born and raised in Italy, but she also lived in New York, Denver, and London. She's a professional travel blogger and certified travel designer who loves planning trips, sharing travel hacks, and packing lists so that you don't have to. Owner of My Adventures Across The World, solo traveler, cat mom to Minnie. Claudia has been featured by the Lonely Planet and the Huffington Post.
You can see where Anne was hiding during the Nazi occupation in Amsterdam. I highly recommend reading the books before your visit so you feel better about what happened and how Anne thought. The modern addition to the museum is wheelchair accessible with a purpose-built entrance. Elsewhere the café, museum shop and temporary exhibition space are accessible and there’s disabled parking available just meters from the museum entrance. When you go on the site to get your ticket you will be able to select your preferred time-slot for your visit.
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