The most beautiful cinema in Amsterdam: Pathé Tuschinski
About the author: Laura Danielle is co-founder of Comedy Walks: walking tours with a professional comedian as guide! Amsterdam – Utrecht – Eindhoven.
A must do: watch a movie at the Tuschinski theater!
The Tuschinski theater in Amsterdam is most likely the most beautiful art-nouveau cinema in the world! And I am not the only one who is convinced of this as Time Out Magazine elected cinema Pathé Tuschinski the most beautiful cinema in the world in February 2021! It is an absolute must do to watch a movie in this stunning theater. Definitely one of my favorite cinemas in Amsterdam. Its construction was commissioned by Abraham Tuschinski, early 20th century, who put his heart and soul into this building. He was not interested in another ordinary theater but he wanted to build an astonishingly beautiful cinema. Abraham rightfully referred to it as a movie palace. He succeeded, in 1921, the Tuschinski Theather opened its doors.
Art Nouveau and Jugendstil
Built in the dramatic Art Nouveau and Jugendstil style the Tuschinski Theater is quite impressive from the outside. But wait till you step inside the foyer. This is Art Deco at its best: the mural paintings, the dome, the lights and even the carpet (foyer). The foyer is open to the public so even if you just pass by, I’d say quickly go and peek inside.
In terms of architecture, the Tuschinski Theater is almost the complete opposite of the contemporary EYE Filmmuseum, our other favorite cinema in Amsterdam. Yet they have something in common. They both reflect what was perceived as an architectural masterpiece at the time and therefore they both offer an extraordinary movie experience.
Click here to read about our personal experience at the EYE Filmmuseum.
The foyer The VIP room – My favorite loveseats!
Can you still watch movies at the Tuschinski Theater?
Absolutely and I highly recommend you watch a movie in here. The Tuschinski Theater is now part of the Pathé cinema chain and it shows mainly blockbusters. Erik and I love watching a movie on a big screen and this is one of our favorite cinemas. If you get a chance try to book a love seat; it is a bit more expensive but it comes with a drink and a snack.
Good to know, most movies in the Netherlands are subtitled so the score is the original one most of the time.
Before entering the auditorium, walk down the heavily decorated corridors around the main auditorium. And if you really wanna get the most out of your visit, go for a pee at the Art Deco bathrooms!
If you want to see what movies are playing check out their website.
No time for movies? Take the audio tour!
Alternatively, if you are not a big movie fan or can’t fit a movie into your fun schedule, you can take an audiotour in the morning. It is a 45-minute tour that tells you about the history of the Tuschinski theater including its founder and architecture. During the tour, you can even enter the VIP room where Tom Cruise, Richard Gere, and our own Dutch pride Carice van Houten had their champagne during the premieres of their movies. The audio tour is available in Dutch and English, costs EUR 10 and includes a coffee/tea.
All information in this blog posts is based on personal experience and commission free.