As the days get shorter and the leaves start to turn, Amsterdam’s art scene heats up with a host of captivating fall exhibitions. From thought-provoking contemporary works to timeless classics, the city’s museums and galleries are brimming with shows that invite you to explore, reflect, and be inspired. Here’s our pick of the must-see exhibitions this autumn — perfect for cozy afternoons and cultural adventures alike.
Blommers & Schumm: Mid-Air – A Playful Retrospective
Foam presents an enchanting dive into over 25 years of Dutch artist duo Blommers & Schumm, whose iconic fashion photography blurs the line between editorial work and autonomous art. Their meticulously constructed, surreal images—featuring falling objects, unexpected collages, and fleeting moments of chaos—challenge how we see the world, all captured entirely in-camera. This retrospective is a rare chance to explore their visually striking and conceptually rich universe.
📍 Adress: FOAM, Keizersgracht 609, 1017 DS Amsterdam
📆 Dates: From 20 September – 23 February 2026
Brancusi: The Birth of Modern Sculpture – Amsterdam Exclusive
H’ART Museum brings a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to Amsterdam with Brancusi: The Birth of Modern Sculpture, featuring over 30 masterpieces from the father of modern sculpture, on loan from the Centre Pompidou. From the iconic Princess X to The Kiss and the monumental Endless Column, the exhibition showcases Brancusi’s revolutionary approach to form, material, and essence, alongside his photographs and films. For four months only, immerse yourself in the groundbreaking vision that transformed sculpture forever.
📍 Adress: H’ART Museum, Amstel 51, 1018 EJ Amsterdam
📆 Dates: From 20 September 2025 – 18 January 2026
The Botermarkt 1675 – Step into Amsterdam’s Golden Age in VR
Starting October 1st, the Nieuwe Kerk invites visitors to immerse themselves in 17th-century Amsterdam with The Botermarkt 1675, a cutting-edge VR experience. See, hear, and even smell the bustling market as if you were there, exploring the city’s Golden Age through interactive, multi-sensory scenarios. This museum-grade experience blends history, culture, and entertainment, making the past feel vividly alive for visitors of all ages.
📍 Adress: The New Church, Eggert Hall – Eggertstraat 8, 1012 NP Amsterdam
📆 Dates: From October 1 2025
Steve McQueen: Occupied City – Amsterdam on Screen
The Rijksmuseum presents Occupied City, Steve McQueen’s 34-hour cinematic exploration of Amsterdam under Nazi occupation, projected on the Museumplein façade and inside the museum on select days. Traversing over 2,000 city locations, the film blends silent public screenings with narrated sessions in the auditorium, revealing personal stories of persecution, resistance, and daily life during WWII. This groundbreaking work transforms the city itself into a canvas, offering a powerful reflection on history and its lasting impact today.
📍 Adress: Rijksmuseum, Museumstraat 1, Amsterdam
📆 Dates: From 20 September 2025 – 18 January 2026
Michelangelo and Men – A Rare Look at the Master’s Fascination with the Male Form
Teylers Museum (in Haarlem, not Amsterdam, but it’s worth the short trip!) presents Michelangelo and Men, the first exhibition entirely devoted to the artist’s fascination with the male body, running from 15 October 2025 to 25 January 2026. Featuring over twenty drawings from the museum’s collection alongside forty international loans—including the marble sculpture Apollo-David—the show explores Michelangelo’s artistic, anatomical, and personal engagement with the male figure. This once-in-a-lifetime exhibition offers fresh perspectives on gender, beauty, and the revolutionary impact of Michelangelo’s work.
📍 Adress: Teylers Museum, Spaarne 16, 2011 CH Haarlem
📆 Dates: From 15 october 2025 – 25 January 2026
At Home in the 17th Century – Step into Daily Life 400 Years Ago
The Rijksmuseum invites visitors to experience a full day in 17th-century Amsterdam in At Home in the 17th Century, featuring nine diorama-style displays filled with fascinating objects and personal stories. From humble household items to the opulent doll’s houses of Petronella Oortman and Petronella Dunois, the exhibition offers a vivid glimpse into the lives of rich and poor, Protestants and Catholics, merchants and migrants. Designed by visual artist Steef de Jong, this immersive show makes the past feel surprisingly close, yet intriguingly different from our own lives.
📍 Adress: Rijksmuseum, Museumstraat 1, Amsterdam
📆 Dates: From 17 October 2025 – 11 January 2026