The first theatrical performances in Amsterdam date back to the late 15th Century, but it was during the 16th Century that these early theatres were organised in the so-called rederijkerskamer, a term referring to the modern-day theatre companies. Lacking a permanent theatre building, the actors performed regularly either on temporarily erected stages or on moving carts during processions. Amsterdam's first theatre companies of the period are known by the names of In Liefde Bloeyende and Wit Lavendel. Things changed with the introduction of the Dutch Academy in the early 17th Century, which attracted, among others, the playwright Samuel Coster. The Dutch Academy was established following the structure of the Italian academies, which aimed to make science available to the general public, and offered performances in the national secular language.

In the late 17th Century, following this initial boom of theatrical arts, it was decided that a new theatre was to be built. Erected in compliance with the Baroque style, which was the predominant style in architecture of the period, the Stadsschouwburg opened on May 26, 1665. The building, very modern for its time, had intricate machinery which made various stunts on the stage, as well as many visual effects, possible. The theatre decoration was excessively rich and was successively upgraded over the decades. However, in 1772, the theatre burnt down in a fire, which, apart from the theatre, demolished several buildings in its immediate vicinity.

The first theatre on the Leidseplein, right next to the Melkweg (the present-day site of the Stadsschouwburg), dates back to 1774. The original building was a simple wooden structure behind a stone facade, which burnt down in 1892. The building that can be seen today, was erected in 1894, and has survived nearly intact for more than a century. The brainchild of architect Jan Springer (1850–1915) and Adolf Leonard van Gendt, the building was given the status of a national monument in 1982. Following World War II, the company of the Netherlands Opera often performed there until they got their own building. The site has frequently hosted eclectic theatrical programmes and encompassed various forms and types of media, as well as cutting-edge stagings by contemporary Dutch authors.