KattenKabinet: Amsterdam's Cat Art Museum

KattenKabinet sounds like a novelty attraction until you see where it lives and what it collects. The museum occupies Herengracht 497, a canal house built in 1667 on the Golden Bend, and uses cat imagery as a real art-history theme rather than an excuse to fill rooms with internet memes.

The museum was founded in 1990 by Bob Meijer in memory of his red tomcat John Pierpont Morgan. Its collection includes paintings, drawings, prints and sculpture connected with artists including Picasso, Rembrandt, Toulouse-Lautrec, Corneille, Sal Meijer and Théophile Steinlen. There are also resident cats in the house, which rather completes the concept.

Current hours and ticket prices

The museum currently opens Tuesday to Sunday, 12:00–17:00, and is closed on Mondays. Official 2026 pricing lists adults at €12.50, seniors 65+ and students at €7.50, and children under 12 free.

The I amsterdam City Card currently gives a discounted €9.50 ticket rather than free entry. The museum's own contact page also says the Museumkaart is not valid. Tickets can be bought online or at the door.

What is actually in the collection?

The point is the changing role of the cat in art and culture: elegant portraits, posters, sculpture, illustration and works where the animal is symbolic rather than merely cute. The museum's own collection description frames that theme across centuries, so the experience has more substance than its whimsical name suggests.

The historic rooms help. Even if a particular cat artwork does not stop you, the setting gives you the feeling of moving through an eccentric private collection in a real Amsterdam canal house instead of a purpose-built gallery.

The John Pierpont Morgan story

The museum's founding cat lived from 1966 to 1983 and received increasingly elaborate birthday tributes, including portraits, sculpture and spoof currency. Some of those objects remain part of the museum's personality. It is gloriously specific, but it also explains why the collection feels personal rather than assembled by a tourism marketing committee.

Resident cats: what to expect

Yes, cats live in the museum. No, I would not promise that one will pose for you on cue. Treat them as residents and give them space. Anyone with a significant cat allergy should factor that in before buying a ticket, because the animals are part of the house rather than a temporary exhibition.

The museum also offers a small-group English guided tour at selected times; its current site advertises a Tuesday 11:00 option before public opening, with other days potentially available by request. That is worth considering if you want the stories behind the artists rather than a quick independent browse.

How long to allow

Allow 45–60 minutes for a relaxed independent visit. You can physically move through faster, but that turns the place back into a gimmick. Give the art and the 17th-century rooms enough time to register.

What to combine it with

KattenKabinet sits in the canal ring, making it easy to pair with the Nine Streets, a canal walk or another historic-house museum such as Museum Van Loon or Huis Willet-Holthuysen. I would not stack three small house museums in a row unless that is genuinely your thing; one quirky collection plus outdoor Amsterdam is a better balance.

Who should prioritise it?

Prioritise it if you love cats, unusual private collections, graphic art or canal-house interiors. Keep it optional on a first Amsterdam visit if your museum time is limited and you have not yet seen the Rijksmuseum or Van Gogh Museum. KattenKabinet is a terrific side quest; it does not need to pretend it is the main quest.

Sources checked 7 September 2026: KattenKabinet official tickets, official museum history and collection and the museum's current contact/visitor information. Prices and hours can change, so recheck the official site before visiting.