Observation Deck: 360° Panoramic views of Amsterdam
Table of contents
- Observation Deck: 360° Panoramic views of Amsterdam
- A’DAM Lookout Tickets
- A’DAM Lookout: Great Place To Start Your Amsterdam Trip
- A’DAM Tower: Short on Height but Long on Views
- Europe’s highest set of swings
- A’DAM Lookout Extras
- Two observation decks: indoors and outdoors
- A’DAM Lookout is part of the iconic A’DAM Tower
- What is the meaning of “A’DAM”?
- What else is in the A’DAM Tower?
- Madam – Amsterdam’s highest nightclub
- Tickets and Information
- Map: A’DAM Lookout observation deck at the A’DAM Tower
A’DAM Lookout is the first and only publicly accessible viewing platform in Amsterdam.
Located at the top of the iconic A’DAM tower, directly opposite the Central Station, A’DAM Lookout offers a spectacular 360° panoramic view of Amsterdam.
That’s not all. The observation deck features the highest swing in Europe – right on the edge of the building, 21 stories above the ground!
Over three million people have visited this Amsterdam bucket list attraction since it opened in May, 2016. A’DAM Lookout has a 4.6 out of 5 stars rating on Google Reviews.
— Article continues below ticket information —
A’DAM Lookout Tickets
Tickets: Free Entrance with the
Amsterdam: 1, 2, 3, or 5-Day Go City All-Inclusive Pass
(Enjoy unlimited access to Amsterdam’s hottest attractions)
Tickets are also available on location.
A’DAM Lookout: Great Place To Start Your Amsterdam Trip
First time visitors to Amsterdam tend to find the city’s layout confusing. A visit to the Lookout will help you orientate yourself. The indoor observation deck also includes a scale model of the city. And there is plenty of information on the buildings, monuments, businesses, and neighborhoods you can see.
The observation deck has an ideal location: on the top two floors of an iconic 22-story tower1Many tourist guides list a different number of floors: 20, 21, or 22. The latter is correct. The building’s elevator zips you from the first floor (one floor above the entrance) to the indoor rooftop bar on the 20th floor. The outdoor deck is one floor up. The tower also has a subterranean VR Game Park, as well as a nightclub. Together: 22 floors. on the banks of the river IJ, directly across from Central Station. The indoor rooftop bar is a great place to enjoy the views while relaxing with a drink and something to eat. The outdoor viewing platform is one floor up.
A’DAM Tower: Short on Height but Long on Views
The A’DAM toren (tower) has a height of 80 meters (262 feet); 100 meters (328 feet) if you include the spire.
That may not seem all that tall. But then, by international standards, towers in Amsterdam are quite short anyway. The tallest tower in the city is the Rembrandttoren — an office skyscraper with a height of 135 meters (115 feet). OK 150, if you count the spire.
But considering that the average building height in the city is only 30 meters (98 feet) – and only 15 meters (49 feet) in the historic center – the unobstructed view from the A’DAM Lookout observation deck is magnificent.
Bird’s Eye View of Amsterdam and Beyond
The bird’s-eye view overlooks not only Amsterdam’s historic city center, but also the busy harbor to the west, the IJsselmeer lake to the east, and the unique Dutch countryside (with farms and villages) to the north.
And, of course, 21 stories below the viewpoint is the bustling river IJ with a never-ending parade of ships – from pleasure boats to barges and from dinghies to cruise ships.
Europe’s highest set of swings
It gets even better: At the top of the tower you can take a ride in Europe’s highest set of swings. Yes, swings!
Strapped into a full-body safety harness, you’ll be able to propel yourself as high as you wish, or dare — right over the very edge of the observation platform.
Mind you, the swing requires an extra €6 ticket, but that won’t break the bank.
And that’s still not all.
A’DAM Lookout Extras
A visit to the observation platform comes with some nice extras.
It is an adventure that starts before you get there.
It begins with a (free) ferry ride across the river IJ. [There’s no nearby bridge. That’s a long story]
Once you’re inside, you can have your photo taken while you and your family or friends are balancing on a steel beam high above the ground.
Virtually, that is. You’ll safely sit on a bench in front of a green screen. The free photo, a nice memento of your visit, will be emailed to you.
Next you travel 20 stories in 22 seconds, on the most colorful ‘Goes to Heaven’ elevator ride you’ll ever experience.
You now have a choice of observation decks: the 360° Indoor Panorama Deck or the 360° open air Sky Deck.
Of course you’re welcome to visit both. From either deck you get to see the city as it was usually depicted on medieval maps: from the North looking South — pretty much the way Amsterdam expanded. 1
Do you have a fear of heights?
Are you brave enough to take your turn on one of the swings? Mind you, you’ll need to buy a separate ticket for that. And just in case you’re too scared to hold a camera while swinging, you’ll get a movie of your daring feat sent to your email address.
By the way, the sky deck includes a circular skylight where you can quickly (and safely) test whether you have acrophobia (fear of heights). Since the deck is placed at an angle to the building, the safety-glass covered sky light allows you to look down to the ground 21 floors below your feet.
Two observation decks: indoors and outdoors
The indoor panorama deck, a beautiful lounge featuring angled, tinted glass panels, includes a place where you can get something to eat and drink.
You will enjoy the interactive Amsterdam exhibition.
It comes complete with a three dimensional scale model of Amsterdam. This is a great way to get your bearings in a city whose layout of concentric half-circles has gotten even the best-travelled tourists lost for centuries.
A’DAM Lookout is part of the iconic A’DAM Tower
The attraction has an ideal location: at the top two floors of a well-known — but completely retrofitted — 21-story tower just across the river IJ behind Central Station.
This part of Amsterdam-North has over the past few years undergone what the New York Times describes as an “evolution from blue-collar industrial area to red-hot art neighborhood.”
The tower is symbolic for this metamorphosis.
Shell Toren
Originally named Toren Overhoeks, the tower was developed as an office building for Royal Dutch Shell. You’ll hear many Amsterdammers still (for now) refer to it as the ‘Shell toren.’ 2
What is the meaning of “A’DAM”?
Retrofitted to the tune of 50 million euro, the former office tower has been transformed into a multi-functional ‘vertical city’ called the A’DAM Toren (toren = tower).
‘A’dam’ (pronounced as Adam) is the colloquial abbreviation of ‘Amsterdam.’ 3
But A’DAM also stands for ‘Amsterdam Dance and Music,’ which reflects the business background of three of the four owners — big names behind some of the most popular music and dance festivals: Sander Groet (club Air), Duncan Stutterheim (ID&T), Hans Brouwer (MassiveMusic).4
Matter of fact, the building is Amsterdam’s most unique creative- and entertainment hub. 5
What else is in the A’DAM Tower?
Aside from the observation deck, the A’DAM Toren features
- Restaurants, including one near the top that revolves 360° an hour
- Several (lounge) bars
- Sir Adam, a 4-star boutique hotel
- Music school
- Offices for music- and creative companies
- Two nightclubs — one at the top of the building, and one subterranean
- A double-height space for exhibitions, congresses, or product launches
- A virtual reality game park (A’DAM VR Game Park)
In addition, two stories are set aside for A’DAM Works, providing office and meeting space to small companies in the music- and creative sector. This will be an ideal incubator for startup companies to network and grow.
Madam – Amsterdam’s highest nightclub
At 6 pm the indoor deck turns into a restaurant and skybar called Madam (Get it? M’adam…).
Then, at 10:00 pm — when the sky deck closes — Madam undergoes another transformation, turning into Amsterdam’s highest nightclub.
Tickets and Information
Opening Hours
Every day from 10:00 to 22:00 (10 am to 10 pm). Last Admission: 21:00 (9 pm).
Ticket Options
- FREE entry with the Amsterdam: 1, 2, 3, or 5-Day Go City All-Inclusive Pass (you can enter for free and are not required to reserve a timeslot)
- Tickets at the door
- Adults € 14,50 (Normally € 16,50)
- Children € 8,50 (Normally € 10,50)
Map: A’DAM Lookout observation deck at the A’DAM Tower
Address: A’DAM Lookout, Overhoeksplein 5, 1031 KS Amsterdam
The venue is located across the water from Amsterdam Central Station.
You exit the station at the IJzijde (which means, the side of the station facing the river IJ).
Make your way to the ferry dock at the Western side of the station. You will see the tower across the water, right next to the spaceship-like EYE Film Museum.
You then take one of the free ferries across. Look for the ferry labelled ‘Buiksloterwegveer.’ Ignore the one labelled ‘NDSM.’
More things to do in Amsterdam
- Public Transport to and from Amsterdam Airport Schiphol
- Amsterdam Light Festival: Is it worth it?
- Current Time in Amsterdam
- Van Gogh Museum — Plan Your Visit
- Amsterdam Webcams
- The Night Watch by Rembrandt is not actually called The Night Watch
Notes:
- See a medieval Amsterdam map in this article: Was Amsterdam named after a dam in the river Amstel? ↩
- The original tower was commissioned by Royal Dutch Shell to be built on a plot of land that also housed the multinational’s laboratories.
Architect Arthur Staal designed the building to be placed at a 45° to the IJ waterfront. This diagonal position (overhoeks in Dutch) gave the building its official name: Toren Overhoeks.
However, the name never caught on, and to this day many Amsterdammers still refer to the building as the ‘Shell toren.’
Shell moved into the building in 1971. In 2003 the city purchased the land as part of a long-term development plan in which industry along the banks of the river IJ is moved elsewhere in favor of residential housing and mixed-used buildings.
Shell left the building in 2009. ↩ - See also: Amsterdam’s nicknames (and why you should never refer to the city as “The Dam”) ↩
- The fourth partner is Eric-Jan de Rooij of project developer Lingotto ↩
- In case you are wondering about the emphasis on the music- and creative industry, note that “the Dutch dance industry alone, focused on Amsterdam, is worth €600m (£470m) a year(pdf) and employs 13,000 people full- and part-time.” – The Guardian, March 21, 2016. ↩
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