When I started planning our time in Amsterdam, the Anne Frank House was at the top of my list. I had read about Anne Frank and knew her story. Still, standing where she and seven others hid would be something completely different.

This part of Our European Summer Adventure deserved its own space. Visiting the Anne Frank House became one of our most emotional experiences in Amsterdam. I knew I could not simply include it among a list of places we visited.

Getting tickets takes some planning. The Anne Frank House sells tickets only through its official website. You choose a specific date and time for your visit. Every Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. Central European Summer Time, the museum releases tickets for six weeks later. On the East Coast, that meant I was up at 4:00 a.m. to purchase ours.

I knew exactly what date we needed and hoped for an early time. Thankfully, getting up that early paid off. I was able to get the 9:30 a.m. time I wanted. My advice is simple. If this visit matters to you, mark the ticket-release date on your calendar. Be ready when tickets become available. The museum does not sell tickets at the door. Once a date sells out, there is no waiting list.

When we arrived in Amsterdam, we discovered the Anne Frank House was about a five-minute walk from our hotel. On the morning of our visit, we arrived around 9:15 for our 9:30 time slot.

The visit flowed very well. Admission includes an audio tour that guides you through much of the museum. It explains Anne’s story, her family, the others in hiding, and what was happening around them. The museum does not allow photography inside. I actually think that adds to the experience. Everyone focuses on what they are seeing and hearing instead of trying to capture everything on a phone.

I will not describe every room or everything you will see. I think this is a place you need to experience for yourself. Walking through it helps you understand the depth of what happened there. I will say that the visit was very emotional for me. I am not going to lie. There were moments that were truly heartbreaking.

Knowing how Anne’s story ended is one thing. Walking through the actual building makes that history feel very different. Anne, her family, the Van Pels family, and Fritz Pfeffer all lived there in hiding. The hinged bookcase that concealed the entrance is still there. You can also see personal details left behind by those who lived there. Anne’s pictures still remain on the wall of her room. Other original items also remain throughout the museum.

The Nazis arrested the people in hiding in August 1944 and emptied the Secret Annex. Otto Frank was the only one of the eight to survive the Holocaust. He returned to Amsterdam in 1945 and found the Annex empty.

When the Anne Frank House opened in 1960, Otto Frank asked that the Secret Annex remain unfurnished. He did not want the museum to recreate how the rooms once looked. The museum continues to honor his request.

I think the empty rooms make the experience even more powerful. There are no recreated beds, tables, or chairs filling the space. You see the rooms, the walls, and the narrow spaces. You also think about the people who once lived there.

Sometimes an empty room can say more than a room filled with things.

After the tour, Raun and I walked around the area for a while. I stopped near the canal and took in the surroundings. After learning about Anne’s world in hiding, standing outside felt different. Everyday life had continued just beyond the Annex. The eight people inside could not freely be part of it.

That moment stayed with me.

Some places you visit, take pictures, and continue with your day. Other places make you stop and think long after you leave. For me, the Anne Frank House was one of those places.

If you are going to Amsterdam, I highly recommend visiting the Anne Frank House. Give yourself time to experience it without rushing. It is not an easy visit, but I believe it is an important one.

I walked away feeling sad about what happened to Anne, her family, and so many others. I also felt grateful that their stories continue to be told. Anne wanted to be a writer. Today, generations of people around the world continue to read her words.

Visiting the Anne Frank House made her story feel much more real to me.

It is an experience I will carry with me for a very long time.