Allard Pierson Museum

Allard Pierson Museum Review

Once the repository of the nation's gold supply, this former National Bank with its stern Neoclassical façade is now home to other treasures. Dynamite helped remove the safes and open up the space for the archaeological collection of the University of Amsterdam in 1934, and the museum traces the early development of Western civilization, from the Egyptians to the Romans, and of the Near Eastern cultures (Anatolia, Persia, Palestine) in a series of well-documented (if old-fashioned) displays. It links internally to the University of Amsterdam's Bijzondere Collecties (Special Collections) showcase with interesting exhibitions and a stylish café.