Amsterdam Pipe Museum — Local services in Amsterdam

Situated in a 17th century canal house on Prinsengracht, just a few paces from Leidsestraat, is the small, but utterly fascinating Amsterdam Pipe Museum. The house has retained many of its original features and, in addition to pipes and smoking paraphernalia, there are some wonderful items of furniture and a stunning assortment of antique clocks which enhance the building's historic ambience.

The museum owes its existence to Don Duco, a passionate serious enthusiast who has spent much of his life collecting pipes and related items from all over the world. Today, the collection is in excess of 20,000 pipes, of which some 2,000 are part of the exhibition which spans two and a half thousand years of culture and traditions from 5 continents. The museum has become the most important of its kind in Europe. In recent years, it has taken over the collections of some 15 institutions, as well as those donated by private collectors.

There are no audio tours here as has become the fashion with other museums.; Instead, one of the museum's curators acts as a personal guide providing a wealth of knowledge and information, and more than happy to answer any questions.

At the time of the house's construction when the Dutch ruled the waves, tobacco was a prized commodity and smoking a clay pipe became a status symbol, only affordable to the very wealthy. The longer the pipe, the more important its owner was considered in society.

The oldest pipes in the collection date back to 500 B.C. The pipes come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from the weird to the wonderful and are made from a wide range of materials such as bone, clay, glass, ivory, meerschaum, metal, porcelain, plastic and wood.

There is a shop in the basement where hundreds of different pipes, tobacco and smoking items can...

An absolute treasure for anyone with an interest in history, craftsmanship, or unique cultural experiences. The only tobacco pipe museum in the world, it offers a fascinating glimpse into centuries of smoking culture and artistry, far beyond what one might expect.

The museum is located in a charming old canal house, and once we went upstairs to the museum, we were immediately immersed in an authentic atmosphere. The interiors themselves are beautifully preserved, transporting visitors back in time, and offering a wonderful sense of Dutch heritage. The intimate setting makes the museum feel less like a formal institution and more like stepping into a collector’s private world.

The collection of pipes is nothing short of extraordinary. Spanning thousands of years and sourced from cultures all around the globe, it showcases an incredible range of materials, styles, and craftsmanship. From ancient clay pipes to intricately carved meerschaum and luxurious briar pieces, each pipe tells its own story, and together they paint a vivid picture of the cultural significance of smoking across time.

What truly made the experience stand out, however, was the expertise and passion of the guide who was kind enough to go over the collection basically for the two of us. Not only was he exceptionally knowledgeable, providing rich historical context, but more broadly enlightening, revealing the social, artistic, and even political aspects behind the simple act of smoking a pipe. It’s clear that they take great pride in the museum and its collections, which makes the tour feel personal...

I was super excited to go to the museum. As soon as I got there I greeted the worker and went to ask if I could use the museumkaart there, then told him I was waiting for a friend and started walking around seeing the pipes in the store. There was a pretty pipe and I wanted to take a picture. The man said very in a very rude way that I can't take pictures and that is impolite to not ask first - it is impolite to talk like that to customers - but I said sorry because I didn't know and continued waiting. When my friend got there I asked the price of a ticket and the man said: "15€ you can see there in the sign." I was so offended by the way he was treating us, and then he said it was 2.5€ for museumkaart holders, but didn't say anything when I asked if they accepted museumkaart. Finally we were going to pay and he didn't accept card, but there was a ATM next door. We said thanks, goodbye and left. If he was a decent person, we would be super happy to see the museum and give a donation. I've been in multiple museums in Amsterdam and never encountered someone so awful. PS. I wrote a long comment, because I saw the replies of the other comments blaming the visitor, and I am sure I was polite and nice, and we were greeted with rudeness. It's the man's personality and not a reaction to the...