Gemeenlandshuis: a historic stop near Amsterdam Science Park

Gemeenlandshuis is an 18th-century building with a practical history: it served the Hoogheemraadschap van den Zeeburg en Diemerdijk, the water board responsible for the dike between Amsterdam and Muiden along the former Zuiderzee.

The board used the house for meetings and to keep watch over the dike. Board members could also stay overnight. Before the building was constructed, the board had met on the site at an inn called ‘daar de jager uithangt’ since 1609.

Architect and artist Cornelis van der Does is identified with the 1727 building. The hall includes Louis XIV-style stucco by Christiaan Wittenbeeker.

A tile tableau made in the 17th century by Amsterdam pottery maker Haye Esdré was installed in the house in 2016; its image takes inspiration from a print of the Battle of the Downs. Vereniging Hendrick de Keyser acquired the building in 2008, and it is Rijksmonument number 878.

Gemeenlandshuis stands on Diemerzeedijk, while Science Park Amsterdam is a separate destination with its own railway station. Science Park Amsterdam is about an 18-minute drive from the hotel.

If you’re planning time at the campus, the Science Park Amsterdam guide covers getting there and what to know.

A separate trip-planning detail is how bus 40 serves Science Park from Amsterdam Muiderpoort and Amsterdam Amstel stations.

The guide to Amsterdam public transport from IJburg can help you plan the wider journey.

Visitor access is available on dates shown in Vereniging Hendrick de Keyser’s online agenda, rather than on a stated regular weekly schedule. Check the official site before you go, using the association’s agenda to confirm whether a visit is available on your chosen date.

The building is also used as office space, and its large rooms are available for meetings, receptions and parties. That current use makes it worth checking the agenda rather than assuming the interior is open whenever you pass by.

You can make the historic house and Science Park two distinct stops in the same area-focused outing. First check the house’s visitor dates, then plan your Science Park visit around its railway station and the route that works for you. This keeps access to the building at the centre of the plan instead of assuming it is regularly open.

For the campus, bus 40 serves Science Park from Amsterdam Muiderpoort and Amsterdam Amstel stations. The park is also about 10 to 15 minutes by bicycle from either station. Check current transport details with the relevant operator before travelling.