Designed in 1891 by landscape architect Leonard Springer and completed in 1894, the Oosterpark was the first large public park laid out by the city of Amsterdam. Its roughly 12 hectares, in the English landscape style, combine winding paths, long ponds, small bridges and wide lawns, in the heart of Amsterdam-Oost. The park is home to the Nationaal Monument Slavernijverleden, where the national commemoration of the abolition of slavery takes place every 1 July, and it borders the Wereldmuseum. Entry is free and open at all hours. Locals, families and festival-goers gather here, especially in summer.
Highlights
The ponds and lawns
The ponds wind through the park, lined with willows and broad lawns and livened up by a fountain. This is the setting for picnics and walks in fine weather; one of the ponds surrounds a small island.
The Muziekkoepel
This bandstand, a listed municipal monument, stands at the edge of the pond. In spring and summer it hosts small open-air concerts.
The shady paths
The winding paths laid out by Springer pass beneath tall trees and along flower beds. They make for a peaceful stroll, away from the traffic of the surrounding streets.
The Nationaal Monument Slavernijverleden
The work of Surinamese sculptor Erwin de Vries, this bronze monument was unveiled on 1 July 2002 in the presence of Queen Beatrix. It depicts the past, with a group of enslaved people, the present, with a figure breaking its chains, and the future of freedom. Every 1 July (Keti Koti), the national commemoration of the abolition of slavery, which took effect in 1863 in Suriname and the Dutch Antilles, is held here in the afternoon and broadcast by the NOS.
De Schreeuw
This 4.5 m stainless steel monument by Jeroen Henneman pays tribute to filmmaker and columnist Theo van Gogh, murdered in 2004 not far from the park. Unveiled on 18 March 2007, it shows a stylised face screaming on one side and with its mouth closed on the other, a reference to freedom of expression.
For children
A large natural playground fills the middle of the park, with sand, swings and climbing frames. In summer, a big paddling pool (pierenbad) is open for younger children.
The Spreeksteen and festivals
The Spreeksteen, a "speaking stone" dedicated to freedom of expression, lets anyone take the floor, notably on Sundays at 1pm. In summer the park hosts several festivals, including the free Amsterdam Roots Festival, held at the end of June (28 June in 2026).
Infos pratiques
Tips
The Wereldmuseum, on the corner of the Linnaeusstraat and the Mauritskade, is easy to combine with a walk in the park. The café-restaurant PARK, with its terrace overlooking the park, is in the Arena hotel on the 's-Gravesandestraat. On 1 July, the national commemoration takes place in the afternoon at the Oosterpark monument; in 2026, the Keti Koti Festival itself was held on the Museumplein. Remember to take your rubbish with you after a picnic.
How to get there
Oosterpark, 1092 AT Amsterdam (Amsterdam-Oost), between the Mauritskade, the Linnaeusstraat and the 's-Gravesandestraat. Tram 1 to the Korte 's-Gravesandestraat stop, a few minutes' walk from the north-west corner of the park. Tram 14 to the Mauritskade stop, in front of the Wereldmuseum. Tram 25 to the Camperstraat and Beukenweg stops, on the south side. Metro 51, 53 and 54 to Wibautstraat station, about ten minutes' walk away. The Linnaeusstraat is under construction until the end of 2027 and several tram lines, including the 19, are diverted: check your route on the GVB or 9292 journey planner before setting off.
Opening hours
Nearby
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