Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum Closing 6 Months for Renovations

The Van Gogh Museum says it is shutting its doors for six months for renovations starting next year, the latest major Dutch museum to close for reconstruction.

Director Axel Rueger said Friday the museum's most important paintings will move to the Hermitage Amsterdam so they can still be viewed during the work, scheduled to last from October 2012 through March 2013.

The nearby Rijksmuseum and Stedelijkmuseum both have been undergoing major renovations for years but have kept the best parts of their collections on display at other locations.

The Van Gogh Museum, which has some 1.5 million visitors each year, opened in 1973 on Amsterdam's central Museumplein.

Its original building was designed by renowned Dutch architect Gerrit Rietveld.