Discover the stories of Amsterdam’s Olympic Stadium
The Amsterdam Olympic Stadium, built for the 1928 Summer Games – the only time the Olympics were held in the Netherlands – has long been a landmark of sporting and architectural history.
Now, visitors can experience its rich heritage in a brand-new way with the Imagineear multimedia tour, which combines storytelling, quizzes, video clips, and archival photographs to bring nearly a century of history to life.
The tour begins just outside the stadium walls, overlooking Stadionplein, before turning to the 46-meter-tall Marathon Tower, a striking symbol of modern Amsterdam in the 1920s. It was here that, for the first time, the Olympic flame burned continuously throughout the Games, a tradition that continues to this day.
Visitors learn about architect Jan Wils and his vision for the stadium, a design that blends harmoniously with its surroundings, as well as the story behind Amsterdam’s successful Olympic bid. As we walk inside the stadium grounds, the tour dives into the 1928 Games themselves, which drew nearly 670,000 paying spectators. These Games also marked a milestone in women’s participation in gymnastics and athletics, with 274 women competing from across the globe.
After the Olympics, the stadium quickly became a hub for Dutch sport. From 1930 to 1996, it served as Ajax football club’s main venue for many of their matches, it is where Johan Cruijff played some of his most memorable matches. That legacy remains alive today — the roofed interior sections of the stadium have since been converted into offices, one of which now houses the Johan Cruijff Foundation.
But the story doesn’t end there. Over the decades, the stadium has hosted countless sports and cultural events. Highlights include the start of the Tour de France in Amsterdam in 1954 (the first time it began outside of France), 77 international matches of the Dutch national football team, and concerts, like performances by Leonard Cohen. The tour also shares the complex and sometimes difficult chapters of the stadium’s past, including hidden spaces used by Dutch citizens avoiding forced labor during World War II and the commemoration of the four female Jewish gymnasts from 1928 who were tragically murdered during WW2. Today, the stadium continues to support athletes, including local clubs, the HERA women’s football team, and Olympic champions, while embracing sustainability and inclusivity.
As Rifka Boot, Communication Manager at the stadium, explains: “The multimedia tour offers a wonderful glimpse into the rich history of our stadium. With a touch of humor along the way, you’ll not only experience the highlights but also discover surprising facts and stories you probably didn’t know before.”
With the slogan “A Playground for Progress”, the Amsterdam Olympic Stadium continues to inspire visitors, blending sporting history and culture. Thanks to Imagineear’s multimedia tour, everyone can now step inside this living piece of history and experience its stories firsthand.
The Titanic arrives in Seattle…and Brisbane!
As the hugely successful Titanic. The Exhibition continues its journey around the world, Imagineear is proud to continue providing audioguide devices to its visitors.
Curated by Claes-Göran Wetterholm, the exhibition features carefully selected artefacts and personal stories that best convey the philosophy behind the display: fostering empathy and a sense of connection with all those aboard the ill-fated ship.
Imagineear has partnered with Musealia throughout the exhibition’s travels across Europe and America, and will continue to provide its audioguide devices as the exhibition arrives in Seattle.
One visitor, Leonardo T. said, ‘Great setting, full of original items from the passengers and crew. Audio is precise and full of information as well as curiosities. Definitely worth seeing.’
In addition, Titanic. The Human Story, recently opened in Brisbane, Australia, the first city to host the exhibition in Australia, which has already sold over 60,000 tickets in just a few weeks. ‘By focusing on the human aspect of the Titanic’s legacy, this exhibition introduces a fresh narrative that sheds light on previously untold stories of the Titanic’s passengers and crew’ said Luis Ferreiro, Director of Musealia.
This revamped version of Titanic. The Exhibition, has been in development for the past three years. Imagineear is supplying 600 handheld Mirage™ devices, 3 Audio Visual Sync stops, and an Imagineear Web App, enabling visitors to access the audio content on their own smartphones.
Imagineear adds prestigious American institution, The Peabody Essex Museum, to its American portfolio
Our American client list continues to grow and we are excited to now include The Peabody Essex Museum in our portfolio.
The Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, is one of the oldest continuously operating museums in the United States and holds one of the major collections of Asian art in the United States. Its total holdings include about 1.3 million pieces, as well as twenty-two historic buildings.
The Peabody Essex Museum chose Imagineear as successor to their previous audio guide provider, recognising our professionalism and ability to implement and deliver outstanding services and technical support, remotely.
Audio content is delivered to visitors via our intuitive Imagineear Web App (IWA) solution to their own smartphones or, alternatively, via our robust and reliable on-site device, the Mirage™.
Content is available in both English and Mandarin.
