Since I moved to Amsterdam, I’ve been recommended to visit Holland’s biggest Planetarium and Zoo called the Artis Royal Zoo. For many Amsterdam visitors and inhabitants the Artis Royal Zoo is more than just a Zoo. It’s more like a very remarkable spot where nature, culture, knowledge and pleasure come together.
Although I felt a bit disappointed with the place, I still want to recommend it as a weekend getaway for families with kids.
Why disappointed? After playing with tigers in Thailand or feeding elephants in Sri Lanka, seeing Artis Royal Zoo animals species (there are approximately 750 of them), such as zebras, giraffes, elephants and chimpanzees was not that exciting. Nevertheless, I spent a nice afternoon there accompanied by my partner.
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ToggleAbout Artis Royal Zoo
The name of the Zoo, Natura Artis Magistra, stands for a Latin phrase “Nature is the teacher of art and science”. Located in the city center of Amsterdam, it is the oldest zoo in the Netherlands.
It contains an aquarium, a planetarium as well as arboretum and a fairly large art collection and over 27 monumental buildings, most of which are used as enclosures for the animals, making Artis a unique cultural heritage of the 19th century.
Apart from the animals, visitors can visit Artis Library on the history of zoology and botany. With an impressive number of 20,000 books collected, it is a true knowledge source for kids and adults. The library is part of the special collections of the University of Amsterdam, where I did my Master’s Degree in New Media and Digital culture 2014-2015.
Location
Opening hours
Monday – Sunday 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Tickets price
0 – 2 years – free entrance | Youth (3 – 9 year) – €16,50 | Normal (10+) – €19,95
Do you feel like adding the Artis Royal Zoo to your Amsterdam bucket list?