The Sex Museum Amsterdam, or Venustempel, occupies a 17th-century building at Damrak 18, the avenue linking Central Station to Dam Square. Opened on 6 April 1985, it describes itself as the first and oldest sex museum in the world, and says it receives around 500,000 visitors a year. Its collections, assembled by the owners, include erotic sculptures, paintings, photographs, recordings and objects from many cultures and periods. The museum is closed to under-16s. A ticket costs €10.
Highlights
A maze on three levels
The museum occupies a street-front house and two rear houses, linked by a staircase designed by the owners. The route passes through six permanent exhibition rooms spread over three levels, a warren of small rooms rather than a museum laid out in a straight line.
Objects from every period
The collection grew out of a few display cases of 19th-century erotic objects. Today it includes, among other things, a Roman stone phallus, an iron chastity belt, a Chinese "pillow book" in five pictures and a gallery of old photographs.
The celebrity rooms
Several rooms are devoted to figures linked to the history of sexuality, such as Mata Hari, the Marquis de Sade and Oscar Wilde. A statue of Marilyn Monroe, based on the 1955 calendar photo, recalls the famous billowing-dress scene.
The Damrak
The museum is on the Damrak, closer to Central Station than to Dam Square, a few minutes' walk from the Beurs van Berlage and Body Worlds, the anatomy exhibition at Damrak 66. The Red Light District starts a few minutes' walk away, east of the Damrak: its rules are summarised in our guide to the Red Light District rules.
Infos pratiques
Tips
Prices checked in October 2026 on the official website: €10 per person, with no discounts (no student, Museumkaart or other discount card). Tickets bought online are not dated: they remain valid for three months, for one entry. Tickets bought on site are only valid for that day; no tickets are refunded. You can pay by card or in cash. The minimum age of 16 applies to everyone, babies included, and the museum has no lift and no room for pushchairs; wheelchair users can visit the ground floor for free. Photos are allowed, without flash or selfie sticks. There is no shop or café.
How to get there
Damrak 18, 1012 LH Amsterdam. About a 5-minute walk from Amsterdam Centraal (trains, metro, trams and buses): take the city-centre exit and follow the Damrak towards Dam Square. The Dam tram stop is a few minutes' walk away.
Opening hours
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