Telling the story of Amsterdam’s progression from simple fishing village to world power in the 17th-century Golden Age, the city’s historic museum kicks off superbly with the interactive exhibition “Amsterdam DNA”. It takes a whistle-stop tour through the main stages of the city’s history, illustrated by Old Dutch Master paintings, maps, tools, armor, and religious sculpture. After that, however, things tail off as visitors are led through gallery after gallery of poorly organized artifacts. One highlight, however, is the 1677 scale model of the Koninklijk Paleis. The city’s historical museum is partly housed in a former convent and partly in a 17th-century orphanage. The Schuttersgalerij  stands outside the museum entrance.