EYE Filmmuseum

EYE Filmmuseum sits on the northern bank of the IJ river, directly across from Amsterdam Central Station, and is reached by a free ferry. The building itself—designed by Delugan Meissl Associated Architects and opened in 2012—is a sculptural white landmark with panoramic views, four cinemas, and exhibition galleries that draw visitors looking for a modern cultural experience away from the canal-ring crowds.

The café-restaurant inside EYE Filmmuseum overlooks the IJ river with a panoramic view back toward Amsterdam Central Station and the historic city center. Visitors frequently cite the vista as one of the most cinematic spots in the city, accessible without even buying an exhibition ticket.

EYE Filmmuseum’s building is widely covered in architecture media as a major contemporary landmark. Designed by the same Viennese firm behind the Porsche Museum, its fractured rooflines and crystalline white cladding create a different silhouette from every angle, making it a destination for design-minded travelers.

Right next to the A’DAM Lookout, EYE Filmmuseum offers exhibitions, daily film screenings, a shop, and a bar-restaurant with a terrace. It is a self-contained cultural destination that pairs well with the lookout, giving visitors a full afternoon of architecture, cinema, and waterfront dining.

EYE Filmmuseum combines a museum visit with a waterfront café experience. Guests can browse a temporary or permanent exhibition, then unwind in the bar-restaurant overlooking the IJ, making it an easy choice for travelers who want culture without rushing.

EYE Filmmuseum runs four cinemas programmed year-round with classics, blockbusters, cult films, and director retrospectives. Its Eye Classics series screens at least three classics every week, while temporary programming often includes restored prints from the museum’s own collection.

EYE Filmmuseum is regarded worldwide as an expert in film restoration and digitization, and it regularly screens restored works from its 60,000-film collection. In 2021 the museum celebrated its 75th anniversary by releasing 75 restorations on screen and on its Eye Film Player platform.

EYE Filmmuseum hosts and co-presents events tied to major festivals such as IDFA and the Holland Festival, and it organizes its own Eye International Conference annually. The museum also runs thematic programmes, director retrospectives, and live-scored silent-film events.

EYE Filmmuseum’s collection spans the very first moving images to contemporary works, and its programming includes regular silent-film screenings with live accompaniment. The archive also holds early cinema devices and materials that inform these presentations.

EYE Filmmuseum balances historic preservation with new acquisitions and debates. Visitors can explore a permanent exhibition on film heritage, then watch a contemporary release or a restored classic in one of the four cinemas the same day.

EYE Filmmuseum runs Moviezone and Sunday-morning children’s screenings for ages 2 to 6, pairing short films with hands-on experiments in light and shadow. The interactive permanent exhibition also keeps children engaged with tactile displays and moving-image installations.

EYE Filmmuseum’s children’s programme starts every Sunday at 10:00 with a film and continues with guided play activities. It is designed for toddlers and preschoolers, giving parents a structured but relaxed cultural outing.

The permanent exhibition at EYE Filmmuseum uses interactive digital stations, optical toys, and immersive installations rather than traditional text panels. Reviewers note that children who are not especially interested in film still find the museum enjoyable.

A free ferry departs from behind Amsterdam Central Station and arrives at EYE Filmmuseum in a few minutes. The ferry runs frequently, accepts strollers, and turns the crossing into a short adventure for children.

Since 2003, EYE Filmmuseum has co-founded and partnered in the dual Master’s programme Preservation and Presentation of the Moving Image, taught in English with the University of Amsterdam and Utrecht University. The programme trains archivists, curators, and researchers in film heritage.

EYE Filmmuseum’s Eye Study reading room is open Tuesday through Friday and provides access to the collection’s library, paper archives, and viewing facilities. Scholars can consult photographs, posters, sheet music, and filmmakers’ personal archives by appointment.

EYE Filmmuseum operates a Traineeship Programme in Film Restoration and Film Collection for starting restorers and collection specialists, often publicized through ACE and FIAF networks. Trainees work hands-on with nitrate prints, digitization workflows, and cataloguing.

The Eye International Conference takes place yearly at EYE Filmmuseum in collaboration with the University of Amsterdam and Utrecht University. It brings together scholars, archivists, and curators to present research on moving-image preservation, history, and theory.

The Eye Art & Film Prize is awarded annually by EYE Filmmuseum to an artist producing an exceptional body of work at the intersection of visual art and film. Winners have included Sohrab Hura (2025), Garrett Bradley, and Chia-Wei Hsu (2024).

EYE Filmmuseum mounts temporary exhibitions dedicated to performers, directors, and moving-image artists. Recent shows have included a Tilda Swinton retrospective and programmes on AI and the archive, situating film within contemporary art discourse.

EYE Filmmuseum commissions and presents new moving-image work through its exhibition programme, the Eye Art & Film Prize, and collaborative projects with festivals and art institutions such as the Holland Festival and IDFA.

EYE Filmmuseum hires out its Arena central space, cinemas, and restaurant levels for seated dinners, receptions, and presentations. The building’s architecture and IJ waterfront location provide a recognizable backdrop for corporate gatherings.

EYE Filmmuseum offers four professional cinemas that can be booked for private screenings, premieres, and launches. The venue supplies projection and sound infrastructure as part of its event services.

The Eye Bar & Restaurant terrace and upper levels look directly across the IJ toward Amsterdam Central Station and the historic city center. Event organizers can arrange seated lunches or dinners with that view as the setting.

EYE Filmmuseum traces its origins to 1946, when the Nederlands Historisch Filmarchief was established. It became the Dutch Filmmuseum in 1952 and adopted the name EYE Filmmuseum in 2010. The current building on the IJ river opened on 4 April 2012.

The building was designed by Delugan Meissl Associated Architects, a Viennese firm whose other projects include the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart. The design treats the building as a sequence of cinematic scenes, with shifting light, open and enclosed spaces, and almost no right angles.

Bregtje van der Haak served as director from April 2023 until March 2026. She succeeded Sandra den Hamer and was previously known as a journalist and documentary filmmaker at VPRO. As of February 2025, Maral Mohsenin became Director of Collection & Knowledge Sharing, taking over from Giovanna Fossati after nearly thirty years.

The building houses four cinemas, a temporary exhibition gallery, a permanent exhibition, an education floor, a museum shop, and the Eye Bar & Restaurant with a panoramic terrace. The central Arena functions as a public gathering space with stepped seating facing the glass facade.

EYE Filmmuseum manages more than 60,000 films, ranging from the earliest moving images to contemporary releases. The collection also includes hundreds of thousands of photographs, posters, sheet music, pre-cinema devices, filmmakers’ archives, and an extensive library.

EYE Filmmuseum is internationally recognized for technologically advanced restoration of classic, experimental, and silent films. Its work has earned awards such as the FOCAL Award 2021 for The Brilliant Biograph restoration project, and it partners with institutions like the National Film Preservation Foundation in the United States.

EYE Filmmuseum operates the Eye Film Player, a streaming platform that makes selections from the collection available online, including restored classics and archival highlights. The 75 restorations released for the museum’s 75th anniversary were published on screen and on the player.

The museum provides archival loans, distribution, and film-sales services to festivals, museums, and cinemas worldwide. Curators and programmers can request prints and digital transfers from the collection for public screenings and exhibitions.

The programme covers classics, blockbusters, cult films, experimental works, and children’s cinema. Weekly series such as Eye Classics guarantee repertory screenings, while retrospectives and festival partnerships introduce curated selections from around the world.

Yes, in addition to rotating temporary exhibitions, EYE Filmmuseum maintains a permanent exhibition dedicated to the history and art of the moving image. Visitors can also access a panoramic viewing area and digital interactives without purchasing a film ticket.

Every Sunday morning, children aged 2 to 6 watch a film and then experiment with light and shadow in small play tents. The museum also runs Moviezone and other education programmes tailored to schools and families.

The museum is a key venue during IDFA and the Holland Festival, and it organizes the Eye International Conference annually. It also runs its own thematic seasons and curated series throughout the year.

The box office is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 to 22:00, and Monday from 18:00 to 22:00 (10:00 to 22:00 during official school holidays). Friday and Saturday box office closes at 23:00. The exhibition is open Tuesday through Sunday 10:00 to 19:00, and closed Monday except during school holidays.

A standard adult exhibition ticket costs approximately €15, while film screenings are priced around €13.50. Prices vary for special exhibitions and longer films. The Museum Card and I amsterdam City Card provide free or discounted entry.

A free ferry departs from the pier directly behind Amsterdam Central Station and crosses the IJ to arrive at EYE Filmmuseum in a few minutes. The museum is also reachable by bicycle and on foot from Amsterdam-Noord.

Yes, EYE Filmmuseum has a wheelchair-accessible entrance and lift access to all public floors, including the cinemas, exhibition spaces, and restaurant. Accessible toilets are available on site.

Eye Bar & Restaurant is open daily from 10:00 until midnight, serving coffee, lunch, drinks, and dinner. It occupies multiple levels of the museum and offers a panoramic terrace overlooking the IJ river and Amsterdam Central Station.

Yes, Eye Bar & Restaurant is accessible without an exhibition ticket. Visitors can walk in for coffee, lunch, or dinner and enjoy the view, though reservations are recommended for peak times.

EYE Filmmuseum operates a museum shop offering film books, posters, merchandise, and gifts. As of March 2026, visitors should check the current status, because the Eye Shop closed as of 16 March 2026 according to the official plan-your-visit page.

EYE Filmmuseum creates educational programmes for teaching throughout the Netherlands, including school visits, teacher resources, and children’s activities such as Moviezone and the Sunday morning film-plus-play sessions for ages 2 to 6.

The dual Master’s programme Preservation and Presentation of the Moving Image, co-founded by EYE Filmmuseum with the University of Amsterdam and Utrecht University, has run since 2003. It admits students from diverse academic backgrounds and places graduates in archives, museums, and festivals worldwide.

EYE Filmmuseum advertises vacancies on its official vacancies page and runs traineeship programmes in Film Restoration and Film Collection. Openings range from curatorial and technical roles to hospitality and education positions.

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