New Amsterdam Theatre Tours

Situated in New York City’s Theater District, the New Amsterdam is Broadway’s oldest operating theater house. Opened in 1903 and called “The House Beautiful,” this ornate venue features all-singing, all-dancing Disney® productions such as Aladdin and The Lion King.

 

The New Amsterdam Theatre combines a tall Beaux Arts–style facade with an intimate art nouveau 1,702-seat auditorium decorated with floral, grapevine, and peacock reliefs. Known in its early years for hosting The Ziegfeld Follies (a theatrical revue with dancing women), the theater started to decline after the Great Depression. Leased in 1993 by the Walt Disney Company and restored over the next couple of years, the New Amsterdam now presents big-name Disney productions.

The best way to experience the New Amsterdam is to catch a show—secure your seats in advance. For a behind-the-scenes look at the New Amsterdam as well as the surrounding Theater District, opt for a Broadway walking tour.

Located at 214 West 42nd Street, the New Amsterdam is easy to get to via subway. Take the N, Q, R, or W train to 42nd Street–Times Square station, then walk westward along West 42nd Street toward 8th Avenue. If you’re driving, several paid parking garages are available nearby.

The theater typically stages eight performances a week—check the schedule. Get there at least 15 minutes before showtime. The box office is open Monday through Friday from 9am to 8pm, Saturday from 10am to 8pm, and Sunday from 10am to 6:30pm.

Don’t miss the lobby’s sculptural renditions of Shakespeare’s plays, or the auditorium’s right-hand wall graced with prominent theater figures (including Will Rogers and Florenz Ziegfeld, producer of The Ziegfeld Follies). And keep a lookout for the resident ghost—Ziegfeld chorus girl Olive Thomas. Olive died mysteriously in 1920 and has been spotted gliding across the stage, blowing kisses to the audience.