We recommend Amsterdam City Archives for visitors who want to look beyond the city’s best-known sights. At De Bazel, Vijzelstraat 32, you can explore archival history or prepare research into a person, address or neighbourhood. Decide which kind of visit you want before choosing a day: the exhibition spaces and research services do not have identical hours.
Opening hours: exhibitions and research are different
The official visitor information, checked on 12 September 2026, gives the following regular hours. Check its holiday notices for exceptions.
| Area | Days | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Building and exhibitions | Tuesday–Friday | 10:00–17:00 |
| Building and exhibitions | Saturday–Sunday | 12:00–17:00 |
| Information Centre | Tuesday–Friday | 10:00–17:00 |
| Originals Study Room | Tuesday–Thursday | 10:00–17:00 |
There is no regular Thursday late opening in that schedule. A weekend exhibition visit does not give you access to the research rooms. If you need to consult original documents, organise that visit in advance rather than arriving on a Friday or weekend.
What is free, and which exhibitions need tickets?
The Treasury, Film Room, Information Centre and Originals Study Room have free admission. The main Exhibition Hall normally costs €10 for adults. Students, visitors aged 0–18 and holders of specified passes qualify for free exhibition admission. Follow the ticket instructions for the exhibition you choose; free eligibility and walking straight through the gate are not always the same thing.
Current programme: check the closing date
The official Jazz Years visitor page lists the exhibition about people, migration and music in Amsterdam during 1930–1939 from 3 April through 13 September 2026. It is therefore at the end of its run at the time of this update. Do not use this listing for a later trip without checking the programme.
For Jazz Years, ordinary adult tickets are €10, so two paying adults total €20. Eligible students and visitors aged 0–18 can reserve free tickets and collect their QR code at the desk; Museumkaart holders can scan their card directly. These are the published instructions for this exhibition, not a promise about every future event.
Drag in Amsterdam is a separate exhibition in the central hall and Treasury, listed from 26 June through 1 November 2026, with free entry. It explores Amsterdam’s drag culture. Check the current agenda for the programme on your travel dates.
We have removed the earlier suggestion that “Journey Through Time” is a confirmed current exhibition with a special direct-booking discount. Amsterdam’s 750th anniversary was in 2025; it should not be presented as an upcoming celebration in a 2026 visitor guide.
Preparing a family-history or address search
For research, we suggest writing down the full names, approximate years and addresses you already know. Choose one question to start with, such as who lived at an address in a particular decade. This makes it easier to explain what you are trying to find and to keep track of useful records.
Use the archive’s contact information for a detailed research question before travelling. Email stadsarchief@amsterdam.nl. We cannot guarantee that a particular document is available for immediate consultation or that staff can complete a family-history search during a short visit.
Getting there and bringing bags
From our White Tulip Hostel at Warmoesstraat 87, set Vijzelstraat 32 as your destination and check your walking route. Allow time for your own pace and any stops. The old fixed fifteen-minute estimate from our door should not determine a timed booking.
The archive provides small free lockers, but suitcases do not fit. Its main entrance has stairs; wheelchair users should check the alternative lift entrances described on the visitor page. Confirm the appropriate entrance if access affects your plans.
Stay with White Tulip
Compare our room options and check dates through our direct booking system. Use our confirmed code HOSTELAMSTERDAM and review the displayed offer and conditions. It is an accommodation code, not a Stadsarchief exhibition discount.
If you are visiting after checkout, arrange luggage storage elsewhere. Our Cloudbeds conditions state that we do not store luggage after checkout.
Earlier PDF and video
The original PDF brochure and video below remain available as earlier material. Use the current opening schedule and official exhibition pages above when planning; earlier exhibition names, digital-installation and themed-tour claims, Thursday hours and journey estimates have not been confirmed as current. No special Stadsarchief discount for booking our hostel directly has been confirmed.
