Medieval Torture Instruments Museum in Amsterdam
Located on Damrak, a very busy street in front of the Central Station, among bars, small hotels and ticket offices, this small private museum was created to serve the tourist crowd. And while it shares an entry with a busy souvenirs shop at the moment you step up into darkness of the exhibit, there may be no mistake: Medieval Torture Instruments Museum proposes its visitors the fascination with human suffering as an entertainment.
The exhibit
Despite its name Medieval Torture Instruments Museum situating the exhibit in the Dark Ages, it shows all kind of torture instruments invented by men in Europe until the 18th C, with a model of guillotine as the central artifact. Life size human wax figures demonstrate how these tools were used. Most of the instruments on show are modern reconstructions made from iron and wood. Expression on faces of the wax figures is rather calm, clearly somebody decided that a horror better has some limitations.
The museum’s exhibit is presented on four floors of the old and rather shabby Dutch townhouse. Large information boards in four west-european languages: Dutch, German, English and Spanish explain the purpose, the name and the history of every object.
The feel
Medieval Torture Instruments Museum is one of the two museums in Amsterdam specialising in historical instruments of torture. Amazingly you will meet quite a few visitors inside, mostly young men examining with visible tension this instructive but also truly sinister show. We leave the judgment on visiting this museum to yourself, but we definitely do not recommend it for kids.
Open
daily 9 am - 10 pm, with last ticket sold at 9:30 pm
Admission
| Adults: | €10 |
| Students and Senior Visitors: | €8 |
| Kids (age 3 until 12): | €4 |
| Amsterdam Holland Pass: | - 25% |
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Medieval Torture Instruments Museum in Amsterdam |