We wanted to see some modern art as well as traditional art, but didn’t find much of this memorable. You can’t even take a small canvas bag in, so you can’t sit and sketch if you want to. The cafe was table service only and was incredibly slow just for coffee and cake at a quiet time in the afternoon. This museum is ok but I wouldn’t say it’s a high priority if you have limited time in Amsterdam.

If you can’t get in to the Rijksmuseum or Van Gogh Museum because you didn’t get tickets in advance, this is a very good alternative. Wonderful range of modern art, presented in periods such as 1950s to 1980s and post-1980s. And no need to book!

Every now and then i drop by this museum. I loved the Chagalls hanging here. It is almost never as crowded as the two nearby world-famous museums so i quite enjoy the space and especially the quietness here. The museum shop is quite lovely too✌✌✌

Stedelijk Museum of Modern Art was included in my I Amsterdam card and one of the highlights of my trip. Absolutely wonderful collection! Chagall’s “Maternity” and “Bella in Green” stole my heart, as expected. There are several interesting portraits by Russian avant-Garde painters of the early 20th century: Kokoshka, Matyushin, etc. All of these paintings are in the first room. After that, the collection takes more “modern” turn. For the fans of Yayoi Kusama's installations, there is her famous erotic “Boat” in different shades of blue. I didn’t spend much time on the ultra-contemporary art and on Mondrian as well. Two hours of joy for an art lover like me… and no crowds at all.

I tried first to visit the Stedelijk on a Friday evening, when it's late night opening, but the queue was so long and not moving much that I gave up. I didn't have an advanced ticket but speaking to people in the queue this didn't make any difference as there were not separate queues for tickets and ticketless. Fortunately I was able to re-arrange to go first thing on a Tuesday morning when it was much quieter. The lovely lady who manages the entrance hall (more of whom shortly) said it is always extremely busy from Friday through the weekend, so if you can visit on a weekday do so. Once inside it was clear this is a big building, and it took me a good 3 hours to see the whole thing, and that was without visiting the Marina Abramovic exhibition that was on (I'm not a fan). I went around in room number order so as not to miss anything, which meant I came to a Matthew Wong exhibition first. I quite like his work but I found the amount of it here a little overwhelming and to be honest was pleased to come to the end of it and move on to the permanent exhibition. Like all modern/contemporary galleries there are likely to be a things that leave you cold and things you love, but they'll be different for different people. Suffice to say the collection is so extensive that there'll be something for everyone. Note that the lockers here are before you pass the ticket gates, so make sure you have everything you need with you. The lockers are the key code type, and if you find you can't open your locker when you return (and you're dashing to catch a train) don't dissolve into a gibbering wreck like me, just ask the cloakroom attendants who will call the lovely lady running the place who will use her master code to sort you out and send you on your way in two minutes. Overall my view of the Stedelijk is that it has all the names you expect, gives a comprehensive view of 20th Century art, but is a little soulless and lacking in an identity.

The Stedelijk has a great collection of Modernist Art from the early 20th century up to today. The original building has been extended with what locals refer to as the "bathtub" and the collection has grown since our previous visit several years go. Pre booking is not absolutely essential but remains a good idea as it is busy. The staff are very helpful and the displays are wheelchair friendly.