The Wereldmuseum Rotterdam, or Museum voor Land-en Volkenkunde, was founded in 1883. A major center for ethnography, approximately 1,800 items are housed here from various civilizations in America, Africa, Oceania, Asia, and the Muslim World.

Also known as Belasting en Douanemuseum, this building holds a fascinating collection. While tax and customs are nobody's favorite subjects, you're sure to be surprised by how interesting this museum is. The city's long and varied history as an import/export center is wonderfully recreated here.

The Queen Emma Square was built between 1888 and 1891. Here you'll find 15 town houses designed in a neo-renaissance style, each with its own unique points of interest. At No. 3, for example, you'll find the building that became the office and residence of the city's bishop after Rotterdam became an independent diocese in 1956. You can also see a decorative vase from 1890 designed by Berlage.

The Kunsthal is a stunning exhibition center that opened its doors in 1992. One of the city's top attractions, it contains three halls and two galleries through which you can see a vast array of cultural works from all over the world. Classical art, design and photography can all be found here as well as much more.

This museum, located in Villa Dijkzigt, dates back to 1852 and is one of the Netherlands' largest natural history museums. Originally built for the Van Hoboken family by J.F. Metzelaar, the building was extended with a modern glass pavilion in 1995. The museum has exhibitions, activities, educational programs, conducted tours, quests and options for children’s parties, as well as a shop and a library.

The Netherlands Architecture Institute (NAi)- Rotterdam is home to all aspects of architecture in the Netherlands, and it is also the largest architectural center in the world. One important aspect of the NAi's work is archiving Dutch architeture: in one 200m long archive there is a massive collection of books, drawings and models spanning 18km of shelving. This impressive collection spans both historic and contemporary architecture, and should be an essential stop on anyone's tour of Rotterdam.

The Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen is the main art museum in Rotterdam. The museum began in 1847 with the collection of Frans Jacob Otto Boijmans (1767 - 1847). In 1958 the collection of businessman Daniël George van Beuningen (1877 - 1955) was added to the museum. At this point the museum acquired its current name. The museum has a diverse collection ranging from medieval to modern art, with a focus on Dutch art. Much of the collection came to the museum through the two private collections mentioned above, but many others have contributed throughout the years. Among the best known artists that are exhibited in the permanent exhibition of the museum are Hieronymus Bosch, Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Rembrandt, Claude Monet, Wassily Kandinsky, Vincent van Gogh, Maurizio Cattelan, René Magritte and Salvador Dalí.

Witte de With is an organization devoted to exhibiting and promoting dialogue about contemporary art both in the city and internationally. Its gallery has an exhilarating, vast collection of works from the most famous contemporary artists.

The Cinerama is the oldest cinema in Rotterdam. Opened in 1957, it's located in a historic area in the heart of the city. Many tourists are drawn here purely by the charming exterior of this old building. Inside there are seven screens and more than 1,000 seats. The Cinerama’s program is very diverse, with everything from Hollywood movies to arthouse films and documentaries.