ART IS AMSTERDAM; Artis Zoo in the heart of Amsterdam.
Artis : General Information Artis General Information and Opening Times and entrance: 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 18.00. The entrance fee in 2006 for adults is 16,00 euro, for senior citizins (65+) 15,00 euro and for children from 3 to 9 years 12,50 euro. Groups exceeding 20 people get a discount of 1,00 euro 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. Zooguide: The Zooguide in English is 2,50 euro and is available at the entrance as well as at the Planetarium Counter. ARTIS ADDRESS: Plantage Kerklaan 38-40 1018 CZ Amsterdam (Artis, P.O. Box 20164, 1000 HD Amsterdam, The Netherlands) Tel. no.: +31-20-5233400. Fax no.: +31-20-5233481 Dutch website: www.artis.nl International website: www.amsterdamzoo.nl E-mail: info@artis.nl |
Artis, a unique City Park : Artis Zoo in the heart of Amsterdam
Art is, a unique City Park. Artis Zoo in the heart of Amsterdam Tulips lovers are advised to visit Artis in spring. In addition to being a zoo, Artis is also a botanical garden. Although many of the plants and trees in Artis are native to the Netherlands, many species have been gathered from all over the world, just like the animal species in Artis. As they wander through the zoo, visitors to Artis get a good impression of the diversity of plants, trees and shrubs that make up the plant kingdom.The large greenhouses are to the rear of the zoo. Those species of plants that are not at home in our climate are to be found in greenhouses and heated buildings.Tulips and other bulbs: Every year, from January to about May, thousands of bulbs bloom in Artis. These may emerge, like their wild forebears, from areas of grass or between bushes - or they may have been carefully planted out in the flowerbeds and flower tubs. In addition to the familiar tulips, daffodils and crocuses, there are also less well-known species such as the yellow star of Bethlehem, alpine squill, iris and glory of the snow. Even in the winter you can find bulbous plants in bloom, such as the common meadow saffron and the saffron. |
ART IS Planetarium
Art Planetarium: A nebula picture taken by the Hubble telescope Cosmosphere Exhibition: The main hall surrounding the Planetarium dome is the setting for a permanent exhibition on astronomy and space exploration. This 'Cosmosphere' presents visitors with a series of highly informative displays about the stars, sun, moon, planets and the very universe itself. The story of space flight is told in all its glory. You can play quiz games or consult the planetary encyclopaedia in the computer, which gives you access to every conceivable fact in the field of astronomy and space exploration at the push of a button. Or, you can use a mouse to steer your own Mars landing module on a computer screen. Shop: The Planetarium shop contains a wealth of books, posters, models, slides, videos, CDs, music cassettes and other articles relating to space flight and astronomy. The shop also sells all matter of other articles relating to Artis as a whole: books on plants and animals, posters, adventure trails, ARTIS magazine, zoo guides and zoo maps. The shop has the same opening times as the zoo. The Planetarium also houses a small cafe. 
Next to Artis's main entrance is a modern building with walls of blue glass surmounted by an enormous copper dome: the Artis Planetarium. Here, from the comfort of an easy chair, we can journey back to the earliest roots of our existence. The huge star projector, which nestles within the 20-metre dome like a giant insect, faithfully reproduces the celestial bodies of the night sky. The Planetarium allows us to see the configurations from anywhere in the world at any given moment. This might be the position of the stars now, in the future or at some point in the distant past. The sun, moon and the planets can also be seen, their relative positions endlessly changing.The Artis Planetarium, with its enormous projection dome of 640 square metres, is not only equipped with the famous Zeiss star projector, but also has at its disposal over 100 projectors for displaying slides, videos and special effects. The Planetarium's shows represent the precisely coordinated interaction of all of these technical facilities, with the magnificent sound system adding immensely to the spectacle. The music for the main performances is specially composed for the occasion. Every day, the Artis Planetarium gives shows for children and school parties, as well as performances for the whole family. Summaries of the text of the Planetarium shows in English. French, German and Spanish are available at the Planetarium Counter. At the 'Kosmosfeer' exhibition, you can use a mouse to steer your own Mars landing module on a computer screen. The Artis Planetarium |
Old Dutch breeds on the Children's Farm in Artis
Old Dutch breeds on the Children's FarmThe Artis Childrens Farm: In the nostalgic farmyard setting of the Children's Farm, many animals are allowed to wander free. It is the only habitat at Artis where visitors can stroke and pet the animals to their hearts' content. Most of our young visitors will be unaware that many of the inhabitants belong to the traditional old Dutch breeds of domesticated farm animals: Dutch land goats, belted calves, moorland sheep and tufted ducks. In this way, Artis is helping to preserve a number of local varieties that no longer have a place in our modern high-productivity agricultural sector. ( In Artis: Dutch land goats. Tufted ducks) 
A number of these traditional Dutch varieties have been saved with the help of the Netherlands' Rare Domestic Animals Foundation. Some can be spotted in the paintings and drawings of the 17th century Old Masters, reproduced on the information boards and panels at the Children's Farm. From Easter until October, you can pay a visit to the Incubator House located opposite the Monkey Rock. The hatching box is stocked with eggs that are busy hatching.
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