A first for the Netherlands
ENTR, billed as the first virtual-reality museum in the Netherlands, opened beside Amsterdam Centraal station on 21 May 2026. Its launch experience, Amsterdam 1652, transports visitors to the Dutch capital as it stood 374 years earlier, swapping conventional galleries for a real-time 3D world they explore on foot.
Walking through 1652
Rather than watching from the outside, groups move through the reconstructed city together — from Dam Square and the ship docks on the IJ to the printing presses of the Golden Age. Each visitor chooses one of three residents to follow — a craftswoman, a whaler or a printer — whose daily lives intersect over the course of the roughly 45-minute experience. It is recommended for ages 8 and up, with tickets starting at €18.
Reconstructed from the archives
The world was developed in collaboration with historians and built directly from records and citizen stories held in the Amsterdam City Archive. The city of Amsterdam described how meticulously the period was recreated, from ambient harbour sound to historically accurate pigments (quoted below). The production was directed by Cannes-nominated Nienke Huitenga and co-produced by the Paris VR studio Backlight.
A new cultural venue
ENTR occupies a 2,000 m² site on Oosterdokskade and is open daily from 10:00 to 18:00. The museum was founded by Vincent Slangen — quoted below on its step-inside premise — with Rabobank as primary financier and KPN as connectivity partner.
