- In the 15th century, people parked their wagons here, which was just outside a city gate called Regulierspoort. In the 18th century it was a dairy market and earned the name Botermarkt ("butter market"). Food stalls and watering holes popped up to serve the increasing number of passers-by.
- The city renamed the square Rembrandtplein in 1852, when it unveiled a statue of the Netherlands' most famous artist, Rembrandt van Rijn, commissioned by sculptor Louis Royer.
- In 2006, the 400th anniversary of Rembrandt's birth, the city added to the square 22 bronze figures that make up a three-dimensional replica of the artist's most famous masterpiece, The Night Watch.
- Rembrandtplein is now a mecca of tourist activity and one of the city's liveliest nightlife hubs. While the many cafés offer plenty of outdoor seating, they are typically overpriced and serve mediocre food.
From the west side of Rembrandtplein, walk south on Thorbeckeplein, another hub of rowdy (and touristy) nightlife and host to a modern art market on Sundays from March to October.
Stop just beyond the statue of 19th-century Dutch statesman Thorbecke, where the Herengracht and Reguliersgracht meet.
