On the Waterlooplein is the modern City Hall and Nationale Opera & Ballet (Muziek Theater) complex, which looms over the Inner Amstel River.
Aside from all the city’s business, this place is for the arts, and regular performances of ballet, opera and classical music are offered. The seasonal series of tickets make this affordable, otherwise it can be pricey – but all of Amsterdam society will be out for these performances, which should make for an amusing experience.
The John Adams Institute provides an independent podium for American culture in the Netherlands. For three decades now, we have brought the best and the brightest of American thinking from the fields of literature, politics, history, technology and the arts. Love it or hate it, the United States plays an important role in the world: what happens in the US is of continuing relevance for the rest of the world, and we provide a window onto that.
The John Adams Institute was founded in 1987 by the cooperation of the West India Foundation of Holland and New York’s Dutch American West India Company Foundation to promote lively debates and lectures in historic venues within old Amsterdam.
This non-profit organization is dedicated to preserving the historic links between Amsterdam and New York City in particular, and the U.S. as a whole.
Located in the West India Huis, which was once the headquarters of the Dutch West India Company, the John Adams Institute holds a series of approximately eleven lectures or talks every year. These lectures have proven to be popular, and have sold out in advance many times. The speakers tend to be world-famous guests such as writers, artists and scientists with profound viewpoints.
The institute was named for John Adams, former president of the United States, who is also a former resident of Amsterdam. Adams was the first ambassador to the Dutch Republic from the U.S., and enjoyed a life of culture here in Old Amsterdam collecting and reading books, hobnobbing with European royalty and furthering U.S. interests here in the Netherlands.
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Located in the West-Indisch Huis at Herenmarkt #97.
The Hortus Botanicus is a great place to chill and wander, marvel at the gardens and enjoy life.
The Hortus Botanicus Amsterdam is perhaps one of the oldest botanical gardens in the world. This garden was established in 1638 as a “Hortus Medicus”, an herb garden for the physicians and pharmacists of Amsterdam.
The Hortus interacts with the community in a special way, offering guided tours, the services of a “plant doctor” who will diagnose your plant’s problem or identify it for you.
The showcase is the special Three Climates Greenhouse, built in 1993 and has tropical, sub-tropical and desert sections within.
The Palm Greenhouse was constructed in 1912, and houses some really unusual palm trees in high Victorian style.
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Open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and public holidays from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m.
From 1st November until 1st April the garden closes at 4 p.m. The Hortus is closed on 1st January and 25th December (Christmas Day).
Adult admission is 9.50 euros, but seasonal discounts apply, and reductions for children and seniors.
Four theaters, a lounge and restaurant with other meeting spaces make up the wonderful all-new Film Museum of the Netherlands. Formerly in the Vondel Park, this stunning modern architectural marvel is now across the Ij from the Central Station in Amsterdam.
The EYE collection dates back to 1946, when the first predecessor of EYE was founded: the Nederlands Historisch Filmarchief. In 1952, this became the Dutch Filmmuseum; since 2010 we are EYE.
However, EYE does not exclusively acquire and preserve films, but a range of different materials – from movie posters to projection equipment. The focus is on films and objects that say something about Dutch film culture; a copy of virtually all Dutch films that come out each year is included in the collection.
Use the map below to find your way to the new building.
Comfy, cozy and on the Leidseplein. In the American Hotel. Hiply extravagant, but worth it. Music, drinks, food.
The Artis was founded nearly 160 years ago; and the winding paths, majestic trees and the monumental historical buildings give Artis a special, 19th century atmosphere.
Here you will find more than 8000 animals in the zoo; as well as two museums, the Zoological Museum and the Geological Museum; a very sophisticated Planetarium; and a magnificent, recently renewed Aquarium. There is also a new restaurant on the premises.
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Open daily from 9 am to 5 pm. Located on the Plantage Kerklaan at #38-40. The entrance fee for adults is € 12,93. Children are less. Call for more information.
Phone: 020 523 3400
Great store on the Kalverstraat near the Spui. Extensive collection of English language materials on several floors. Helpful staff will guide you through the eclectic collection. Lots of fun, ex-pats can always find something to read.
The Treehouse is their venue around the corner on the Voetboogstraat, which has open mike nights and a gallery with showings of art.
Phone: 020-535-25-73
We had a great stay in this houseboat. It was absolutely amazing, comfortable and cosy. We enjoyed the fireplace a lot. Although we were there in December, it was pleasant on the boat, particularly with the heated water bed. It was windy and the water was choppy, but we never felt the boat move. I thought the location was fantastic…. Although we found all the stuff as it was written on the site we still really didn’t expect anything like this. The boat really gave me a feeling of home when I got back there at night. I am sure I want to back sometime in summer and enjoy the sun deck and barbecue.
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for rent all year round
Situated in the heart of Amsterdam’s red-light district, Het Paleis van de Weemoed, is an old style theatre restaurant full of charm, nostalgia and romance A full evening’s entertainment includes a top quality 4-course meal intersperced with a parade of cabaret stars and wonderful musicians. “The Palace” can be compared to a “30’s Spiegel Tent Dance Salon, the Cotton Club or a small version of the Moulin Rouge. It presents an international programme but remains intimate. Come and enjoy an evening of fine dining and imaginative entertainment.
The Palace is situated in the historical Old Town of Amsterdam. Our 17th century canal district (“Grachtengordel”) is even on the Unesco World Heritage List.
From April 1st our terrace is open on sunny afternoons. Please come and enjoy Amsterdam life with a diner, or dinershow and a drink.
Huis Marseille is a monumental old canal house on the Kaizersgracht which is now the Foundation for Photography.
Opened to the public on 18 September, 1999, there are four large exhibition rooms on different levels inside.
The Huis Marseille Foundation is based in the 17th century house on the Keizersgracht to which it owes its name. There is a stone tablet on the facade, with a map of the harbor of Marseille, dating back to the French merchant who had the house built in 1665.
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Open Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Phone: + 31 20 5318989