The New Amsterdam Theatre — Broadway’s Oldest House
A practical planning guide to Broadway’s most historically significant theater: seating, accessibility, Art Nouveau architecture, location, and how to build a complete night around a visit.
The New Amsterdam Theatre is Broadway’s oldest continuously operating house — a 1903 theater at 214 West 42nd Street that opened before Times Square was Times Square, survived the Depression as a movie house, and was restored by Disney in 1997 into one of the most architecturally distinctive active venues in the district. With 1,747 seats across orchestra, mezzanine, and balcony levels, and an Art Nouveau interior that has no real equivalent among current Broadway houses, it is a theater where the building itself is part of the experience before the curtain ever rises.
This guide covers what kind of theater the New Amsterdam is, how to approach seating across its three levels, what accessibility actually looks like here (including the elevators to all levels — a genuine advantage over many Broadway houses), where it sits in the Times Square block and what that means for your night, and how to plan dinner, transit, and lodging around a visit. The current resident production is Aladdin. For full show information, see the Aladdin Broadway show guide.
What Kind of Broadway House This Is
The New Amsterdam is the oldest operating Broadway theater and one of the few in the district where the architecture actively competes with what is happening onstage. The Art Nouveau interior — designated a New York City landmark in 1979 — was created by architects Herts & Tallant and was described at opening as “The House Beautiful,” a nickname that has followed it for more than a century. The Disney restoration of the late 1990s preserved that interior while bringing the building up to modern operational standards, which means a visitor today encounters something genuinely unusual: a theater that feels both historic and comfortable to be in.
At roughly 1,747 seats across three levels, the New Amsterdam is one of the larger Broadway houses currently active. It has the scale to support the kind of production Disney brings to it — elaborate staging, large ensembles, ambitious production design — and the architectural identity to make the pre-show experience something more than just finding your seat. For a family visiting New York, or for any first-time Broadway visitor, the New Amsterdam delivers not just a show but a sense of what a Broadway house actually is at its most historically grounded.
The New Amsterdam is the right room for large-scale productions that benefit from both physical scale and a distinctive environment. A Disney musical with elaborate set design, strong choreography, and effects-driven staging fits the house exceptionally well — the production and the building reinforce each other rather than competing. It is not a chamber theater, and nothing about it is intimate. But for visitors who want the full Broadway experience — scale, history, architecture, spectacle — it delivers all of that in one building.
Most Broadway theaters are architecturally interesting. The New Amsterdam is architecturally significant. Its Art Nouveau interior — the elaborate plasterwork, the decorative friezes, the layered visual detail throughout the house — was landmark-designated because nothing else quite like it exists in New York. Disney’s restoration honored that designation rather than modernizing over it. You can walk into the New Amsterdam and understand immediately why it was called “The House Beautiful” in 1903. That is not true of every Broadway theater, and it is worth arriving early enough to see the room before the lights go down.
Seating Guide — How to Think About the New Amsterdam
The New Amsterdam has three seating levels — orchestra, mezzanine, and balcony — and is one of the Broadway houses where side seating is more usable than at many comparable venues. The theater does not have obstructed-view seats on the sides of the orchestra and mezzanine the way some other houses do, though side seats are still not optimal for most productions. The key sightline note: the mezzanine Row A overhangs the orchestra at Row P, and the balcony Row A overhangs the mezzanine at Row DD — worth knowing if you are in the rows directly underneath.
The center orchestra is the closest and most immersive position in the house. For a production like Aladdin, built around elaborate set pieces and performer proximity, these seats put you directly inside the experience. Generally the most expensive section; the front rows are strong for detail and immediacy. Worth the premium for a production designed at this scale.
Mid-orchestra center rows offer strong sightlines at a step down in price from the front section. You can see the full stage picture while remaining close enough for the performers to feel present. A reliable choice for most visitors, particularly families where a range of heights and sight-angles matters. Legroom in the orchestra here is generally well-regarded.
Orchestra rows around P and beyond fall under the mezzanine overhang. For a visually vertical production — flying sequences, height-dependent effects — this can limit sightlines to the stage above the proscenium. For Aladdin specifically, the magic carpet sequence and overhead staging are part of the production design. Factor this in if vertical effects matter to your group.
The mezzanine gives an elevated full-stage view — particularly strong for productions where seeing the entire stage picture simultaneously is the right experience. Front mezzanine center is a consistently recommended choice at the New Amsterdam. For Aladdin’s choreography and staging, seeing the full ensemble picture from a slightly elevated angle is often better than being close but below. Elevator access available.
The balcony is steep and high. The view is clear, but the height is genuine — reviewers consistently note it is not for those with a fear of heights. For a production with strong visual spectacle that reads at distance (Aladdin qualifies), the balcony is a workable choice on a budget. For families with young children, the height and steep rake are worth considering in advance. Elevator access available.
The twelve box seats offer poor sightlines. The far-side angle means missing significant stage action on the opposite side. Unlike most sections here, the boxes are a genuine compromise rather than a tradeoff — avoid them unless price is the only possible consideration.
For Aladdin specifically — a production built around flying sequences, large ensemble choreography, and visual effects designed to fill this room — the choice between orchestra center and mezzanine center is worth thinking through. Orchestra center puts you close and inside the experience; the effects feel immediate and the performers feel present. Front mezzanine center gives you the full picture — you see the entire stage simultaneously, which for a choreography-driven production often reveals more than proximity does. Neither is wrong. Families with young children tend to prefer orchestra for the feeling of being inside it; theatergoers who have seen Broadway before often find the mezzanine view the more satisfying one. The balcony is high and steep — workable for adults who know what they are signing up for, less ideal for young children or anyone with height sensitivity.
Accessibility at the New Amsterdam Theatre
The New Amsterdam has a meaningful accessibility advantage over many Broadway houses: elevators serve all levels of the theater. At houses like the Neil Simon Theatre, the mezzanine requires stairs with no elevator alternative. At the New Amsterdam, every seating level is reachable by elevator, which makes the full range of the house available to visitors who cannot use stairs. This is genuinely worth knowing before you book — it changes which sections are available to your group.
Elevator access to all levels
The New Amsterdam Theatre has elevators serving all seating levels — orchestra, mezzanine, and balcony. Theater representatives are available in the lobby to assist and escort guests to wheelchair and companion seats. This makes the New Amsterdam one of the more accessible major Broadway houses in the district.
Wheelchair and companion seating — rear orchestra and mezzanine
Designated wheelchair and companion seating is located in the rear orchestra section and house right of the mezzanine. Broadway Direct notes that these rear orchestra and mezzanine locations are the only seating positions in the house that do not involve steps within the seating area itself — meaning even with elevator access to the levels, other seat locations within the sections may involve steps to the row. Purchase wheelchair and companion seats through the box office at 212-282-2900; specially priced tickets are available. Up to one companion seat is permitted per wheelchair purchase.
Accessible restrooms
A wheelchair-accessible restroom is available on the orchestra level (house left). Additional accessible restrooms are available on the mezzanine and balcony levels. Restrooms are available on each level of the theater, which is a practical advantage at a house this size.
Assistive listening, audio description, and captioning
Headsets for sound augmentation are available at the theater. T-Coil loops are available for guests with Tele Coil hearing aids. On-demand pre-recorded audio description is available for every performance through the GalaPro app on personal devices, or through devices available free of charge at a kiosk in the main lobby. Open captioned performances are offered annually in partnership with the Theatre Development Fund. ASL-interpreted performances are offered twice annually — check the official production site for upcoming dates.
Sensory-friendly performances
Sensory-friendly performances with modifications to sound and lighting are offered annually through a partnership with the Theatre Development Fund. Downloadable resources and reduced ticket prices are available for these performances. If this is relevant to your group, check the current schedule at TDF’s accessibility page or contact the box office directly for upcoming dates.
Accessibility provisions, device availability, and performance dates for ASL and sensory-friendly shows change over time. Verify current details with the New Amsterdam Theatre box office at 212-282-2900 or through the official Disney Aladdin accessibility page before finalizing plans where accessibility is a primary consideration.
Where the New Amsterdam Is — and What to Know About the Location
The New Amsterdam Theatre is at 214 West 42nd Street, on the south side of the block between Seventh and Eighth Avenues — directly in the heart of Times Square, at the intersection of Broadway’s highest-foot-traffic area. This is both an advantage and something to plan around.
The Times Square location means the subway connections are as good as they get in the city — the Times Square–42nd Street station handles more train lines than almost any other stop in New York, which means you can get here from nearly anywhere in Manhattan, Brooklyn, or Queens without a transfer. The tradeoff is sidewalk congestion: 42nd Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues is among the most tourist-dense blocks in the city, and on a weekend evening before curtain, the area can be genuinely slow to navigate. Build in time. See the full guide to getting to a Broadway show for specific subway routing and timing, and the parking near Broadway guide for garage options near this end of the district.
A Century and More — The New Amsterdam’s History
The New Amsterdam Theatre opened on October 26, 1903, with a production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It was built by producers Klaw & Erlanger and designed by the architecture firm Herts & Tallant, who created what critics immediately called “The House Beautiful” — a theater whose Art Nouveau interior brought to Broadway a design language that had never been applied to a legitimate theater in New York before. It was also, at its opening, the largest theater on Broadway, with 1,702 seats.
The Disney stewardship of the New Amsterdam is worth understanding on its own terms. Disney did not acquire the New Amsterdam as a real estate investment — it restored a genuinely deteriorating landmark building and turned it back into a working Broadway house. The 99-year lease and the scale of the restoration represent a commitment that goes beyond typical commercial theater economics. The result is a theater that operates with Disney’s institutional resources behind it, which shows in the maintenance of the physical plant, the quality of accessibility provisions, and the consistency of the front-of-house experience.
Current Production — Disney’s Aladdin
Disney’s Aladdin has been the resident production at the New Amsterdam since 2014, making it one of Broadway’s longest-running current shows. It is directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw, written by Chad Beguelin from a book adapted from the Disney animated film, with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman, Tim Rice, and Beguelin. The show runs approximately two hours and thirty minutes including one intermission, and is recommended for ages six and up. Guests under two are not permitted.
The production is built for this room — the elaborate set design by Bob Crowley and the scale of the ensemble choreography are designed to fill the New Amsterdam’s stage width and depth. The flying magic carpet sequence is a particular technical achievement that the house’s stage rigging was set up to support. For families visiting New York who want a Broadway show that functions both as theatrical entertainment and as a complete spectacle event, Aladdin at the New Amsterdam is a reliable, well-produced choice with a long track record.
Check Current Availability
Aladdin plays multiple performances per week. Compare current listings and available dates for your visit.
Full Aladdin Show GuideFor full information about the show — age guidance, content notes, what to expect, whether it is right for your group, and how to approach it as a first-time Broadway visit — see the Aladdin Broadway show guide. For broader first-time Broadway planning, the best Broadway shows for first-time visitors covers the current landscape.
Plan the Night Around the New Amsterdam Theatre
The Times Square location of the New Amsterdam makes getting there easy and getting around before the show slightly more demanding. Here is how to think about the full evening.
Getting there
The subway situation at the New Amsterdam is about as good as it gets on Broadway — the Times Square–42nd Street station, with access to the 1, 2, 3, 7, N, Q, R, W, and S trains, sits right at the theater’s block, and the A, C, and E to 42nd Street–Port Authority is a short walk east from 8th Avenue. From virtually anywhere in the subway system, you can reach this theater without needing to plan an unusual route. The practical issue is the street level: 42nd Street between 7th and 8th is heavily congested before curtain on evenings and weekends. Give yourself more time than you think you need. The full guide to getting to a Broadway show covers specific subway routing and timing recommendations.
Dinner before the show
The Times Square area immediate to the theater is tourist-restaurant territory — not the right zone for a well-planned pre-show dinner. Walk a few blocks in either direction and the options improve substantially. Hell’s Kitchen — west on 42nd Street and north on 9th Avenue — is the strongest pre-theater dining cluster near this part of the district, with reliable restaurants at most price points all used to theater-crowd timing. The restaurants near Broadway guide covers specific options, and the pre-show dining guide covers the timing logic of dinner before a two-and-a-half-hour show.
Families and group planning
The New Amsterdam is one of the more family-friendly Broadway houses currently operating — Disney’s stewardship means the front-of-house experience is well-organized, the accessibility provisions are strong, coat check is available, and the show itself is specifically designed for a broad age range (6+). For a group visiting New York with children who want a full Broadway evening, the New Amsterdam and Aladdin are among the most practical choices in the current Broadway landscape. The Theater District neighborhood guide covers the surrounding area if you are orienting a group around a full day in this part of Midtown.
Hotels and longer stays
The Times Square area is the most hotel-dense part of the Theater District, with options at every price point within walking distance of the New Amsterdam. The hotels near Broadway guide covers the best-positioned options. For a full orientation to the neighborhood — what surrounds the theater, how the blocks work, what the district feels like — the Theater District neighborhood guide is the right starting point.
Practical Information Before You Arrive
Theater policies and show-specific details can change. Confirm current information with the New Amsterdam Theatre directly or through the official Aladdin site. Box office: 212-282-2900.
Frequently Asked Questions
The New Amsterdam Theatre is at 214 West 42nd Street in Manhattan, on the south side of 42nd Street between Seventh and Eighth Avenues, in the heart of the Times Square Theater District. The closest subway is the Times Square–42nd Street station (1, 2, 3, 7, N, Q, R, W, S trains), steps from the theater. The A, C, and E trains at 42nd Street–Port Authority (8th Avenue) are also a short walk west.
Disney’s Aladdin is the current resident production at the New Amsterdam Theatre, running since 2014. For full show details including cast, runtime, age guidance, and planning information, see the Aladdin Broadway show guide. Verify the current performance schedule at the official site before booking.
For most visitors, center orchestra mid-rows offer a strong combination of proximity, sightlines, and value — close enough for the production to feel immediate, back enough to see the full stage picture. Front mezzanine center is a consistently recommended alternative that gives you an elevated full-stage view, often better for appreciating large-scale choreography and staging. The balcony is steep and high — workable for budget-conscious adults, less ideal for young children or those with height sensitivity. Avoid box seats, which have significantly compromised sightlines. Note that rear orchestra rows fall under the mezzanine overhang, which can affect sightlines for overhead staging.
Yes — and more so than many Broadway houses. The New Amsterdam has elevators to all levels, meaning the full range of the theater including mezzanine and balcony is accessible without stairs. Wheelchair and companion seating is available in the rear orchestra and house-right mezzanine sections; these are the only seating locations in the house that do not involve any steps within the seating area itself. Accessible restrooms are available on the orchestra, mezzanine, and balcony levels. Assistive listening, audio description via GalaPro, T-Coil loops, open captioned performances, and ASL-interpreted performances are also available. Contact the box office at 212-282-2900 for accessible seating bookings.
The New Amsterdam Theatre has approximately 1,747 seats across its orchestra, mezzanine, and balcony levels, making it one of the larger Broadway houses currently operating. Verify the current figure on the official venue site, as production modifications can occasionally affect the seat count.
It is one of the better Broadway houses specifically for families. Disney’s operational stewardship means the front-of-house experience is well-organized, coat check is available, accessibility provisions are strong across all levels, and the current production is designed for ages 6 and up. For a family’s first Broadway visit, the combination of a well-known show, a well-run theater, and strong accessibility support makes this one of the more practical choices in the current landscape. Note the special effects advisory — fog, pyrotechnics, strobe lighting, and loud sounds — and the steep balcony if you are considering upper-level seating with young children.
The theater opened in 1903 with its original name, which has never changed. “New Amsterdam” was a reference to New Amsterdam, the original Dutch colonial name for what became New York City — a name that nods to the city’s history in a way that the theater’s builders found fitting for an institution they hoped would be permanently significant. It has kept that name through the Depression, the movie-house era, the decades of disrepair, and the Disney restoration. Along with its landmark status, the name is now part of the building’s historical identity.
It is one of the two oldest currently operating Broadway theaters. The New Amsterdam and the Lyceum Theatre both opened in 1903 and are generally cited together as Broadway’s oldest surviving active houses. Both are operating continuously as of 2026 and both hold New York City landmark status.
The New Amsterdam in Brief
The New Amsterdam Theatre is the oldest operating Broadway house and the most architecturally distinctive venue in the current district — a 1903 Art Nouveau landmark at 214 West 42nd Street that was restored by Disney in 1997 and has been running one of Broadway’s longest-running productions, Aladdin, since 2014. At 1,747 seats across three levels, it is one of the larger Broadway houses, and with elevators to all levels and accessible restrooms at every floor, it is also one of the most practically accessible.
For visitors deciding between sections: center orchestra for proximity and immersion, front mezzanine center for the full stage picture, and balcony only if you know what you are signing up for. Arrive 20–30 minutes early — the Times Square location means the street-level approach takes longer than expected, and the theater itself is worth seeing before the lights go down. For full night-out planning, the links below cover everything from dinner to transit to hotels.
New Amsterdam Theatre at a Glance
- Now Playing Aladdin
- Theater Type
- Address 214 West 42nd Street, in the heart of Times Square
- Opened 1903
- Capacity 1,747 seats
- Seating Layout A large Broadway house with Orchestra and Mezzanine sections inside one of the district’s most visually distinctive landmark theaters
- Accessibility Designated wheelchair and companion seating are in the rear Orchestra and Mezzanine, and these are the only seating locations that do not involve steps.
New Amsterdam is one of the strongest Broadway choices for visitors who want a bigger, more visually distinctive theater experience, but it also stands out because its Disney restoration and multi-level access setup make it feel different from a typical older playhouse.