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Amsterdam is known for its sex industry, and when I saw the sex museum on the main high street, the curiosity in me lead me inside…
I have never been to another city in the world so dedicated to sex, let alone housing a museum like this. I expected it to be funny, that’s the reason I went in-to have a laugh after an afternoon in the cities pubs!
But it wasn’t really very funny at all. It was actually really weird, and rather pervy!
I was shocked to see so many middle aged and older people wandering around the museum, absorbing all of the graphic information before them. Most of them, male and female, wandered alone, engrossed in what they were looking at.
It was a cheap 4 Euros to get in and didn’t take more than about 15 minutes to walk around. But then again I suppose if you were well into it you could easily spend a lot longer…
I was immediately greeted with photo after photo of pornographic images. The museum started with a kind of sexual journey through history. By this I mean the photo’s went from black and white, to brown to colour…they showed the same kind of sexual photo’s and the only way you could tell it was ‘history’ was because of the hair styles and the condition of the photograph.
There were a couple of huge model penis’ and naked, erotic statues of people scattered around the museum. There were also a range of sex toys on display, including an old fashioned dildo inflating machine that I did find quite amusing!
The only real interesting part of the museum for me, was the street created to look like the red light district. They had information about how the prostitutes operate etc and model prostitutes that jumped out at you as you walked past. I thought this bit was quite interesting, and actually represented some of the culture and history of Amsterdam.
Towards the end of the museum there was an x-rated section that had a sign clearly saying that you enter this section at your own risk and no complaints are allowed. And I could certainly see why people might think about complaining! It was extremely pornographic and really quite disturbing… I won’t give much more than that away but I’m sure you can use your imagination!
So all in all, visiting the sex museum was an interesting experience, but not necessarily one I would plan into your itinerary when visiting Amsterdam!
OutsideTheGuidebook says
September 18, 2012 at 2:30 pmI don’t know weather to laugh or cry at this place… but one thing I do know. I want to go there! :-DDD Nice article Hayley.
Hayley says
September 18, 2012 at 2:35 pmHa ha I’d agree there! Thanks for reading! 🙂
garethsear says
September 17, 2012 at 1:05 pmGood to the business is surviving! I was there back in 1991 out of idle curiosity. I don’t remember it being much then, except some dodgy pictures and giant willie sculptures. don’t remember the pop out prostitutes though….
garethsear says
September 17, 2012 at 1:03 pmHeh! Great to see that the business is still going. I popped in there out of idle curiosity back in 1991! Doesn’t sound like it has changed much except I don’t remember the pop up prostitutes!
Hayley says
September 17, 2012 at 1:12 pmMaybe they’re a new addition! Ha ha made me laugh!
Tracie Roberts says
September 15, 2012 at 11:39 amBeen there! Had the same picture with the penis however someone on Facebook reported the photo and they deleted it! boo Facebook! LOL
Hayley says
September 15, 2012 at 11:58 amHa ha really?! I have that picture on Facebook too!