Artis Amsterdam Zoo

Founded in 1838, Artis is the oldest zoo in the Netherlands, the oldest zoo in Europe, and the third oldest zoo in the world.

Guidebooks rightly refer to Artis as one of the most pleasant city zoos around, as the whole place breathes a 19th-century garden atmosphere with ponds, winding paths, majestic trees, fascinating sculptures and monumental historical buildings.

The five elements that make up present day Artis are each represented in the logo: Artis as a Zoo and Aquarium, Botanical gardens, Zoological Museum, Geological Museum and Planetarium. This unique combination meets Artis’s primary objective: offering educational material to broad segments of the population. Material that deals with our planet Earth as a unique place in the universe, worthy of the greatest care and respect.
© Artis

The zoo is in fact Amsterdam’s oldest city park, with 200 species of trees, some of which — like the evergreen live oak, common in the Mediterranean region — not native to the Netherlands.

The park includes remnants of some of the former Plantage gardens.

Not surprisingly many Amsterdam locals own a year pass to the zoo, allowing them to enjoy the park and its botanical gardens and greenhouses as much as the animals.

Speaking of which, wherever possible the animals enclosures do not include bars or cages — but the space-challenged zoo does have them, and many of the enclosures are cramped compared to those of newer zoos.

Interesting fact: during the WWII some 300 Jews were hidden from the Nazis in storerooms above the caged animals, such as the loft above the predator gallery, the wolf house and the round aviary.

Earlier Jewish employees and members of the Board of Directors were forced to give up their jobs, and in 1941 the zoo was one of many places designated by the Nazis as ‘Forbidden to Jews’.

In 1943, a resistance group — intent on thwarting the German occupiers from finding people — set fire to the Amsterdam population registry, which was then housed in the former Artis concert hall.

All-day outing for Children and Adults

Featuring a wide collection of animals, and anything from a petting zoo to an indoor rain forest — and from playgrounds to a restaurant, you can easily spend an entire day at Artis.

It is lots of fun for children and adults alike.

Museums & Planetarium

Artis was founded on May 1, 1838 by the Royal Zoological Society ‘Natura Artis Magistra’ — Latin for ‘Nature is the Master of Art.’

Its purpose was: ‘to promote the knowledge of Natural History, in a clear and agreeable way; both by assembling an extensive collection of living animals and by displaying mounted exhibits from the animal kingdom.’

According to Artis, “In the first half of the 19th century, the combination of a zoo, scientific collections, a Zoological Laboratory and Museum as well as the academically exceptional Artis Library, was quite unique.”

The Zoological museum was later joined by a Planetarium and a Geological Museum.

Aquarium

The Artis Aquarium houses some 300 species of fish, amphibians and evertebrates. Its mammoth tanks each house very different ecosystems: the Amazonian flooded forest, the tropical coral reef and a cross section of an Amsterdam canal.

Artis address & opening times

Artis is open every day of the year, from 09.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.; during the period of ’summer time’ Artis closes at 6.00 p.m. On Saterdays in June, July and August, Artis closes at sunset. The entrance fee in 2009 for adults is € 18,50, for senior (65+) € 17,00 and for children from 3 to 9 years € 15,00. Groups exceeding 20 people get a discount of € 1,50 per person. An entry ticket for Artis also provides admission to the Planetarium, the Geological Museum, the Aquarium and the Zoological Museum. Dogs are not allowed in the zoo.

This information was current on November 17, 2009. As always, double check the details before you visit.

A printed English guide — highly recommended — is available (€3.75).

Guided tours in English are given every Sunday morning, 11.00 uur. Starting point: Monkey Rock (’Apenrots’.)

Artis
Plantage Kerklaan 38-40
1018 CZ Amsterdam
(Mail: Artis, P.O. Box 20164, 1000 HD Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

Tel: 0900-2784796 [Amsterdam phone info]
Fax: +31-20-5233481

Website: Artis Royal Zoo Amsterdam
E-mail: info@artis.nl

How to get to Artis Zoo

Artis is best reached by taking trams 9 (from Central Station via Dam square, Munt and Rembrandtplein), 10 (via Leidseplen) or 14 (via Westerkerk and Dam square).

During the summer season the zoo can also be reached by canal boat: from Amsterdam Central Station, board the Artis Expres, a canal boat operated by Lovers shipping company

Original content © Copyright 2009 DutchAmsterdam.nl [Read what that actually means]

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