Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
upatthedesk).It'saclassyplacetocheckemail.Thelibrary,whichopenedin2007,demon-
strates the Dutch people's dedication to a freely educated populace (the right to inform-
ation, they point out, is enshrined in the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights).
Everything's relaxed and inviting, from the fun kids' zone and international magazine and
newspaper section on the ground floor to the cafeteria, with its dramatic view-terrace dining
on the top (La Place, €10 meals, salad bar, daily 10:00-21:00). The library is a 10-minute
walk from the east end of Central Station.
Cost and Hours:
Free, daily 10:00-22:00, tel. 020/523-0900,
www.oba.nl
.
This kid-friendly science museum is a city landmark. Its distinctive copper-green building,
jutting up from the water like a sinking ship, has prompted critics to nickname it the
Titanic
.
Designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano (known for Paris' Pompidou Center and Ber-
lin'sSonyCentercomplexonPotsdamerPlatz),thebuilding'sshapereflectsitsnauticalsur-
roundings as well as the curve of the underwater tunnel it straddles.
Several floors feature permanent and rotating exhibits that allow kids (and adults) to ex-
plore topics such as light, sound, and gravity, and play with bubbles, topple giant dominoes,
anddrawwithlasers.Themuseum'smotto:“It'sforbiddenNOTtotouch!”Whirring,room-
sizepinballmachinesreputedlyteachkidsaboutphysics.Englishexplanationsareavailable.
Up top is a restaurant with a great city view, as well as a sloping terrace that becomes a pop-
ular “beach” in summer, complete with lounge chairs, a sandbox, and a lively bar. On the
bottom floor is a cafeteria offering €5 sandwiches.
CostandHours:
€13.50,June-Augdaily 10:00-17:00, Sept-May generally closed Mon,
tel. 020/531-3233,
www.e-nemo.nl
.
The roof terrace—open until 19:00 in the summer—is
generally free.
GettingThere:
It'sabovetheentrancetotheIJtunnelatOosterdok2.FromCentralSta-
tion,youcanwalktherein15minutes,ortakebus#22,#42,or#43totheKadijksplein stop.
This huge, kid-friendly collection of model ships, maps, and sea-battle paintings fills the
300-year-old Dutch Navy Arsenal (cleverly located a little ways from the city center, as this
waswheretheystoredthegunpowder).Themuseum'scorecollection,ontheeastsideofthe
courtyard, includes globes, an exhibit on the city's busy shipping port, original navigational
tools, displays of ship ornamentation, and a beautifully lit gallery of maritime paintings, de-
picting dramatic 17th-century naval battles against the British and Romantic seascapes from
the 19th century. On the west side of the courtyard are exhibits on whaling, and seafaring in
the Dutch Golden Age. Just outside the museum is a replica of the
Amsterdam
, an 18th-cen-
