Rijksmuseum Accessibility (2026): Wheelchair Access, Companion Tickets & More

The Rijksmuseum has a genuine institutional commitment to accessibility, not just compliance with Dutch disability law. Since 2017 it has employed a full-time Accessibility Manager, its staff training explicitly includes welcoming visitors with disabilities, and it has published a detailed accessibility vision (“Rijksmuseum without limits”) that treats access as fundamental rather than incidental. This guide covers everything practical: arriving, moving through the museum, borrowing mobility aids, companion tickets, and specialised tours.

Arriving at the Rijksmuseum

The museum sits on Museumstraat, with The Passage running beneath it. The accessible entrance is:

• On the left side of The Passage when approaching from Museumplein
• Contains a lift directly to the Atrium (Floor 0)
• Staffed by security personnel who operate the lift and direct visitors with mobility aids

Staircase details (for reference): The non-lift entrance has 20 steps total, with a landing after step 13. Most visitors using rollators or walking sticks find the staircase manageable if preferred; staff will direct you to the lift if you’d rather not.

Getting to the museum

• Accessible parking — Q-Park Museumplein (300 metres from the museum), plus street spaces on Johannes Vermeerstraat (2 spaces) and Jan Luijkenstraat (4 spaces). Blue-badge holders can park in these for free.
• Kiss & Ride drop-off — The corner of Jan Luijkenstraat and Stadhouderskade, roughly 100 metres from the museum entrance, is the closest you can get by taxi since The Passage itself is pedestrian/cyclist only.
• Public transport accessibility: Metro line 52 to Vijzelgracht is accessible. Tram 2 and 12 to Rijksmuseum stop have accessible low-floor trams on most services. Note that the Spiegelgracht tram stop is not yet adapted for visual impairment or wheelchair use.

See How to Get to the Rijksmuseum for the full directions guide.

Moving Through the Museum

All four floors are accessible by lift. The lifts are located in the rooms next to the cloakroom on the ground floor. They serve Floor 0 (entry), Floor 1, Floor 2 (the Gallery of Honour and Night Watch Room), Floor 3, and the Philips Wing.

Ramps bypass every small staircase and step between galleries. The only exception in the entire museum is the platform for Petronella Oortman’s dolls’ house (Room 2.20), which has a small step — if this is the step you most wanted to see, ask a staff member and they’ll arrange a secondary viewing route.

Gallery width is generous throughout. The Rijksmuseum has explicitly designed its exhibition spaces with wheelchair and mobility scooter accessibility in mind — there’s room to turn, reverse, and pass other visitors comfortably.

Mobility scooter users are asked to drive slowly. Electric wheelchairs are welcome under the same guidelines.

Mobility Aids — Free to Borrow

At the Information Desk on the ground floor, the museum lends the following free of charge, subject to availability:

• Manual wheelchairs
• Rollators
• Walking sticks and canes
• Foldable museum stools — small, lightweight seats to carry with you for short rests
• Pushchairs / strollers — for families who didn’t bring their own

No deposit is required to borrow; just return the item to the Information Desk before you leave. Availability is not guaranteed — on busy days the wheelchairs go fast. If you need one, arrive at opening (9 AM) or phone ahead to reserve.

Companion Tickets (Free Entry for Carers)

The Rijksmuseum offers a free companion ticket for visitors who cannot navigate the museum independently. The companion accompanies the visitor at no charge.

How it works:

• The visitor themselves needs a valid entry ticket (or Museumkaart, or free under-18 ticket)
• The companion’s ticket is free and is issued at the museum on arrival rather than booked online
• Show up at the Information Desk on arrival, explain the situation, and the companion ticket is issued on the spot
• No doctor’s note required, but having accessibility documentation (disability card, blue badge, etc.) speeds the process

This applies whether the visitor is using a wheelchair, has a visual impairment, has a cognitive condition, or has any other disability that means they’d struggle to visit alone.

Fast Lane — Skip the Queue

Visitors with a disability that makes waiting in line difficult can use the Fast Lane at the entrance. To use Fast Lane:

• Download the Fast Lane Declaration from rijksmuseum.nl/en/visit/accessibility
• Complete it in advance (it’s a brief self-declaration)
• Show the form to security at the accessible entrance on arrival

You still need a valid ticket with a timed slot — Fast Lane only removes the queuing delay, not the booking requirement.

Accessible Toilets and Changing Facilities

Wheelchair-accessible toilets are available on every floor. Each has:

• Grab rails and emergency pull-cord
• Low-placed sink
• Mirror, toilet roll, soap, and bin at the correct height for seated wheelchair users
• Anti-slip flooring

Changing Places facility (adult changing facility):

The Rijksmuseum has a dedicated Changing Places toilet — a facility designed for adults with complex disabilities who cannot use a standard accessible toilet. It includes:

• A mobile lift
• A height-adjustable adult changing bed
• A sink

Important: the Changing Places facility itself does not contain the toilet — the toilet is in the adjacent room. Ask at the Information Desk for the location and an employee will show you the way.

Visitors with Visual Impairments

The Rijksmuseum has developed specialised programming for blind and visually impaired visitors, recognising that the museum is an intrinsically visual institution and meaningful access requires more than physical presence.

• Guided tour for blind and visually impaired visitors — this tour allows participants to touch selected objects in the collection, use scent to experience paintings, and hear rich verbal descriptions. Free. First Wednesday of the month covers a temporary exhibition; third Sunday of the month covers the permanent collection.
• Audio tour — the free Rijksmuseum app’s audio tours are designed to work well with screen readers and assistive listening equipment
• Tactile floor plans — available at the Information Desk on request
• Assistance dogs on lead are welcome throughout the museum

Contact access@rijksmuseum.nl in advance to book a tactile tour or coordinate specific requirements.

Visitors Who Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

• Rijksmuseum staff have trained in basic Dutch Sign Language (NGT) as part of hospitality training — including the signs for welcome, cloakroom, ticket, and toilet
• The Rijksmuseum app includes sign-language video content for guided tours
• Hearing loops are available in the museum auditorium for lectures and screenings
• Written information is available in English and Dutch throughout the museum
• Written sign on arrival — if you’d prefer written rather than spoken interactions with staff, mention this at the Information Desk

Visitors with Dementia

The museum runs dedicated guided tours for visitors with dementia and their loved ones, on the second Tuesday of every month. Themed tours covering different parts of the collection. Participants receive a light folding stool to carry on the tour for rest breaks. Free.

Private dementia tours can also be booked for families and groups. Tour guides adapt the pace, content, and structure based on the participants’ needs. Contact access@rijksmuseum.nl to arrange.

Visitors with Sensory Sensitivities (Including Autism)

• Sensory-friendly Saturday evenings — on selected Saturday evenings, the museum opens exclusively for visitors with sensory sensitivities and their families. Reduced crowd, adjusted lighting where possible, lower ambient noise. Check rijksmuseum.nl for upcoming dates.
• Quiet room — if sensory overload happens during your visit, a dedicated quiet room is available. Ask any staff member for directions.
• Quieter galleries marked on the floor plan — the accessible floor plan (free at the Information Desk) marks quieter galleries in green — use these during peak hours. The Asian Pavilion and Special Collections on Floor 0 are usually the quietest parts of the museum.
• Preparation document — the museum publishes a pre-visit preparation document with photos, what to expect, and a visual schedule. Download from rijksmuseum.nl or request by email.

Visitors with Cognitive or Learning Disabilities

• Private guided tours — adapted in pace and content for visitors with cognitive or mild learning disabilities. Booked as private tours. The guide is experienced with this visitor group.
• Creative tours — include a fun creative task alongside the art viewing. Contact access@rijksmuseum.nl to book.

Pets and Service Animals

• Service dogs on a lead are welcome throughout the museum
• Assistance dogs are welcome
• Pets are not allowed — only certified assistance animals

Bag Policy for Medical Needs

The standard museum bag policy requires bags larger than A4 size to be checked into the cloakroom. If you need a larger bag for medical reasons (insulin, oxygen, essential medication, assistive devices), the Information Desk will issue a medical bag label on request. Show this to security at the entrance.

See Dress Code & Bag Policy for the standard bag rules.

Online Access: Rijksstudio

If a museum visit isn’t practical, the Rijksstudio online platform at rijksmuseum.nl/en/rijksstudio makes over 750,000 digitised objects freely available — fully searchable, downloadable in high resolution, and free to reuse. Many visitors use Rijksstudio to prepare before a visit, or as a way to engage with the collection from home.

The Gallery of Honour online tour lets you virtually walk through the central gallery and examine each masterpiece in close detail — a genuine alternative for visitors who cannot travel.

When to Visit for the Best Accessibility Experience

For visitors with mobility aids or sensory sensitivities, crowding makes the biggest practical difference to your experience. The Gallery of Honour becomes genuinely difficult to navigate between 11 AM and 3 PM on weekends.

Best times for accessible visits:

• 9 AM to 11 AM — especially Tuesday to Thursday — genuinely quiet, Gallery of Honour navigable
• 3:30 PM to 5 PM — second-best window, smaller crowds as visitors start filtering out
• Avoid Saturday and Sunday between 11 AM and 3 PM — peak congestion
• Avoid Dutch school holiday weeks, which bring major crowd volume

See Opening Hours & Best Times to Visit.

Contact for Accessibility Questions

For any question not covered above, or to arrange specialised tours and services, email access@rijksmuseum.nl. The accessibility team responds in English and is genuinely helpful — they handle a high volume of visitor requests and are used to coordinating unusual requirements.