Olympic Experience Amsterdam

Amsterdam hosted the 9th Summer Olympics in 1928, and from this time, a stylish big stadium built from red bricks remains. This superbly maintained building, has been recently restored and placed on the list of Amsterdam architectural monuments, while a small museum of the Dutch Olympic tradition – called Olympic Experience, has been established in 2005. You may simply visit the museum (it will take about 30 minutes), or you may take almost 2 hours long guided tour, visiting the stadium together with the museum.

Olympic Experience Museum
The museum’s exhibit concentrates on Dutch Olympic traditions and it has been mainly addressed to the Dutch youth. It shows through the multimedia presentation, with films as old as 1924, the history of the modern Olympics idea in the Netherlands. It also exhibits a few historical memorabilia, as the judo uniform of the Gold Medal winner in open weight division at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, Dutchman Anton Gessink – the only 10th Dan judoka beyond Japan.

The Olympic Stadium in Amsterdam
The main stadium of the Summer Olympics 1928, was designed in the architecture style of the Amsterdam school by Jan Wils, a strong admirer of Frank Lloyd Wright. Dutch Olympic Committee wanted to have a stadium building “simple and smooth in lines”. Also IOC President Pierre de Coubertin appealed before the construction, to build a stadium expressing “Olympic ideals”.

After the Olympics the stadium served as Amsterdam main arena, with European matches of the football club AFC Ajax played here in the 1990-ties. Threatened with demolition at the end of 20th C., when a modern Amsterdam Ajax Arena was built, the Olympic stadium has been as a result of protest action by the public, saved and brilliantly restored.

The feel
Addressed mostly to the Dutch kids, the exhibit uses for the most part multimedia, with only a few memorabilia exhibited. Interesting old archival newsreel film clips (with Dutch commentary) are shown. Then again, the Olympic Stadium is superbly maintained, and it should not to be missed by architecture lovers.

A good, striking looking restaurant “VakZuid” with a large terrace is located in the South wing of the stadium (open 10 A.M. – 1 A.M.)

The big, white Citroën stylish building dating from 1929 - 1931, with the car park on its roof, located in front of the stadium, is by the same architect – Jan Wils.

Opening hours
Tuesday - Sunday 11 A.M. – 5 P.M.
Closed on January 1, April 30 (Queens Day) and December 25 (Christmas).

Admission
Adults - €6; young visitors (age: 5 – 18) - €5; children age up to 4, Museumkaart – free; Stadspas - €3,50, visitors with a pass 65+ - €4,50
Groups 5+ visitors - €4; guided tours 20+ visitors, upon appointment - €5

The museum is working on the English presentation of the exhibit. At this moment an English folder is available.

How to get there
The museum is located within 25 minutes walk from the Museumplein. You should be walking South and reach the Stadionplein. You will see the red volume of the Olympic Stadium behind the big, white Citroën dealer building.
You will find the museum at the stadium main marathon entry – between the tribunes A and B.

Public transport: by metro – station Zuid WTC (within 15 minutes walk); tram lines 16, 24; buses: 62, 142, 170, 172, 197 (stop Stadionplein).
By car: from the Amsterdam Ring A10 take exit S108 (Olympisch Stadion) and drive for about 300 meters following direction of Amsterdam Centrum; the stadium will be on your left. Metered parking in the area, €3,50 an hour; also an Olympisch Stadion P+R parking, if you intend to leave the car for the whole day and visit the city.

Address
Olympic Experience
Olympisch Stadion 2
1076 DE Amsterdam

Contact
Telephone: +31 20 671 11 15
E-mail: office@olympischstadion.nl
Homepage: www.olympischstadion.nl