NEMO Science Museum, Amsterdam

NEMO Science Museum is the large science centre housed in the distinctive building before you, designed by Renzo Piano. Its shape echoes the entrance to the IJ-tunnel, reflected against the ground, and the museum stands on that tunnel’s foundations. Inside, five floors hold hands-on exhibitions, making NEMO the largest science centre in the Netherlands.

You can explore displays built around physics, chemistry, biology and human behaviour, with experiments that invite you to test ideas yourself. The museum’s story reaches back to 1923, when it began as the Museum van den Arbeid, founded by artist Herman Heijenbrock. A particularly vivid feature is the chain-reaction installation, where giant dominoes trigger contraptions including a bell and a flying car. On the roof, Energetica presents energy from sustainable sources, extending the museum’s experiments into the open air.