Heineken Experience Amsterdam

There is something secretive about the taste of the world’s best beers and certainly Heineken pilsner belongs to this group. The brewery was established in Amsterdam in 1864 and today Heineken is a huge multinational company, one of the three largest beer producers in the world. Throughout its history, Heineken remained by and large family company, with Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken as its biggest stockholder and her husband Michel on the company’s board. Heineken rich and successful history has been presented in their old defunct brewery in Amsterdam, with several amusement park attractions added to the exhibit and renamed as Heineken Experience.

From beer museum to an amusement gallery
In 1988 Heineken closed an old Amsterdam brewery, which spread its smell over the popular De Pijp district, and opened a tour for the fans of its beer. For a small admission charge, you could learn something about the famous pilsner and drink as much as you wanted. After the renovation in 2008, the tickets went higher and what looked before like a friendly brand promotion, became a ruthless tourist attraction. ‘We're not the Heineken Museum, we're the Heineken Experience’ - says their website.

Well, the museum part of the show remains interesting – the architecture of the 19th C. Heineken brewery buildings, authentic interiors, old photographs and state decorations Heineken family received, famous gold medal from The Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1889, which you may see reproduced on each can of Heineken, impressive brass beer tanks and a quiet horse stable.

On the contrary - the amusement part must have been arranged by people who had too much beer themselves - parts of it are simply irritating like screenings of very old beer commercials, parts are just plain silly like a quasi-3D movie, where an actor swims in pool of beer and spectators are asked to feel like beer bottles.

The feel
Even if the beer tastes differently after seeing somebody bathing in it, Heineken remains an institution – thus, Heineken Experience may be fun for the real beer lovers. Even so, our advice is – get drunk before you go to see it.

Open: daily - 7 days a week: 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. with the last person admitted at 5:30 p.m., closed on January 1, December 25, 26 and April 30;
on December 24 and 31 shorter working hours;  11.a.m. – 4 p.m. with the last person admitted at 2:30 p.m.

The self guided tour is led in groups and it will take approx. 1,5 hour and you will not be able to move to the groups in front of you to speed up the visit. 

Admission: minors below the age of 18 will be admitted only with an adult; minors below the age of 16 will not be served beer (Dutch law)

Tickets – adults and minors above the age of 16 years: €16; tickets purchased on-line: €15 - you will need a printer to print out your ticket upon the purchase;
minors age 12-15: €12, children below the age of 7: free

The adult ticket includes tokens for two glasses of Heineken, which you receive at the end of the tour. Buy tickets online.

Group tickets (20+) on request.

Heineken Experience is accessible for the visitors on wheelchairs. Free wheelchairs are available at the reception with €100 reimbursable guarantee payment (please book 48 hours earlier).

A shop with Heineken memorabilia is accessible without an admission ticket.

Address
Heineken Experience
Stadhouderskade 78
1072 AE Amsterdam

How to get there
Walking: from the Rijksmuseum, ca. 10 minutes walk along Stadhouderskade West, from the Munt Tower and the Flower Market – 15 minutes walk South  along Vijzelgracht

Public transport: from Central Station tram 16, 24, 25; from Leidseplein tram 7, 10, exit at stop Weteringcircuit

With the car: from the Amsterdam ring A10 take an exit S110, follow the boards ‘Centrum’ and ‘Stadhouderskade’; several parking possibilities in the area.

With the boat: several boat tours offer Heineken Experience combined with their canal tour, the boat stops in front of the brewery.

Contacts
Telephone: +31 20 523 94 35
E-mail: info.experience@heineken.com
Website: www.heinekenexperience.com