Crowded. This was one of the few museum that you had to stand in line to get in and then you stood in line going around the museum. We finally got in after several attempts. One day, around 5pm, we stopped by and there was no line. Well worth the stop. Remember if the line is long outside, it is longer inside. Sounds strange, but outside you are only waiting for tickets, inside, you are reading material and watching TV, the rooms are small.

Every girl I've ever known has read Anne Frank's diary. Every girl I've ever known has been able to relate to the intimate entries of a child just turning into an adult. The smiling face of this child has long been the one that comes to my mind when I think of the horrors of World War II.

Though her life was stolen from her in a concentration camp when she fell ill with Typhus, Anne Frank succeeded in giving voice to thousands of others just like her who died at the hands of the Nazis. She is the famous journalist she dreamed of becoming because her diary chronicaled the most human of struggles in the most inhuman of times.

I think this museum is a must-see for any person visiting Amsterdam. We arrived shortly after it opened and got into line. Even close to closing, there will be people waiting to get inside. After a little more than a half hour, we reached the ticket window. This is a self-guided tour, but I found it very impactful. The rooms are unfurnished, but the movie pictures Anne pasted on the walls in her bedroom are still there.

My son is 12, and he took his time reading the information that was available. He peeked up the stairs to where Peter Van Pel slept in the attic. Still, I knew it would be hard for him to really absorb what happened to those Jews who had been hidden in these small rooms. Fear is like a ghost in the walls when one remembers why the bookcase was first constructed to hide the stairway leading up to where eight people stayed for two years. Before German occupation in the Netherlands, more than 100,000 Jews lived in Amsterdam. After all was said and done, there were less than 5,000 left.

I think it would be difficult to absorb the solemnity of this place with smaller kids in tow, but pre-teens and teens should be taken here to remember those events in world history that we as people should never allow to repeat. Older people who have problems with mobility might have a hard time navigating the narrow stairs up. They are almost as steep as a ladder.

There's a very nice bookstore upon exit from the home's rooms. There is also a small cafe. More information is available on the museum's website: www.annefrank.org

The Anne Frankhuis is a must do while in Amsterdam. We have all read the diary, now take time to experience her life first hand. Our generation many never live through such a horrible period of time again, but this museum serves as a glimpse of our haunting past. As you wonder through the small rooms you get a intimate introduction to the story that most have once read. Each room has be recreated to represent its original details. As you walk up the narrow staircase, past the secret book case you become part of the story.

Each room features a looping film featuring a story of Anne or her family. Many of the dialogues address issues of hobbies, lifestyles, and stories from friends and relatives. In Anne's room you get a glimpse of the things that Anne saw everyday: her window peering onto to the street below, pictures of her favorite movie stars, and three other beds. The Anne Frank museum gives you the opportunity to step out of your normal routine and implants you in another time and place. This experience will open your eyes and heart to a life other than your own.

Apart from touring the house there is a usually a exhibition on display. These range from freedom of speech to Jewish history displays. At the museum there is also a exhibit featuring her diary in every language ever published. This collection draws attention the the wide knowledge of Anne's story and its impact around the globe.BR>
Overall I would recommend this activity to everyone. It is a must-do while in Amsterdam. Some parts of the house may be slightly difficult for some to visit due to steep stairs and narrow halls, however there is special assistance available for those who may need it.

Also at this location is a gift shop, cafe, and information desk. The bathrooms are also kept very clean.
The museum is open daily from 9am to 7pm. The entrance fee is €7.50 for adults and  €3.50 for youth. Age 9 and under is admitted for free. I would suggest arriving early in the morning to avoid long lines. While waiting in line beware of pick pocketers. Pickpocketing is a great problem in Amsterdam, and even more where tourists congregate. While you are waiting in line take a few minutes to talk to the street artist that keeps an eye out for pickpocketers.

A great website to visit for more information is annefrank.org.

One of, if not the, most famous landmark building in Amsterdam is this museum that encompasses the house and annex where the young Jewish girl Anne Frank wrote her secret diary whilst hiding with other family members from the Nazis. As you'd expect, the museum displays various artifacts and film clips from the time when the building was the office and warehouse of her father's business, making spice mixes for sausages and jam gelling agents. However, as you step through the hidden doorway behind the bookcase you are transported back in time. Step into her shoes as you view pictures that Anne clipped and pasted to the wall of the room, barely large enough for a bed. Another personal touch are the marks drawn on the wall to mark the growth of the children. Even the bathroom and toilet tell a story, as they could not be flushed during the day. Anne's original diary is of course also on display.

The actual house and annex is the building on the left, partially obscured by the tree in my picture, but the entrance is through the modern-looking building that forms part of the museum and also houses the museum store and cafe.

It took about 15 minutes to get in from the back of the line in the picture.

The Anne Frank House totally lived up to its expectations for me, and then some. I think that one of the best parts was that it wasn't too intense or dramatic as I had imagined it to be. So I left there feeling touched and moved, but not depressed. Anyway, although you end up moving around with the same group of people more or less, you do have some freedom to go at your own pace, which is very important when seeing such an important piece of world history.

It's really one of the hardest places for me to describe, as it is exactly what it claims to be: the house where Anne Frank was hiding away with her family. There are pictures throughout and some of the furniture is set up the way it was back then. One of the most impressive parts is the door that leads you up to the hidden home of the Franks. When closed, it mimics a bookcase, and when open, you can see the tightly kept narrow staircase that goes up to the attic/home. The rooms are kept a bit as they would have been during the time of the war, and you can see how the walls were decorated in the room of a teen girl who, although in hiding, was still very much a teenage girl. There are stories about the house and the family, and in the last section of the tour you meet other survivors and their stories through audio and visual footage. You're brought even more into the lives of those who could not bask in the sun if they wanted to.

It was certainly a glimpse back in time, and a great place to reflect and learn. When you come out of the tour, there are a couple different exhibits dedicated to tolerance in general. There are interactive pieces for kids AND adults to play with, as well as videos to watch. The gift shop has a nice collection of postcards and things as well. After the tour, we took a moment to absorb what we had seen along the beautiful canal that runs along in front of the house. Just be aware of what time you are going. It is suggested that you go later or earlier, as you will come upon lines.