Red Light Secrets Museum of Prostitution
Photo: Own work — CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Discover the world’s first and only prostitution museum, offering an inside look into Amsterdam’s Red Light District through interactive exhibits and personal stories.
Planning your visit
Red Light Secrets occupies a former brothel on Oudezijds Achterburgwal, and its premise is to show the inside of the industry that the district's windows only display from outside.
Visitors walk through the working rooms, sit in a window to experience the view from the sex worker's side, and read accounts from people in the trade. The exhibits cover the practical realities, the history of prostitution in Amsterdam, the legalisation of sex work in the Netherlands in 2000, and the regulation, taxation and licensing that followed.
The tone is informational rather than titillating, and it addresses trafficking and coercion alongside the legal, self-employed reality that Dutch policy intends.
The district itself has become a tourist problem the city is actively trying to manage, with restrictions on tours, opening hours and photography.
It is adults only. Allow an hour. The main booking is an entrance ticket. Current availability is listed below.
Before you book
Where is Red Light Secrets Museum of Prostitution?
Red Light Secrets Museum of Prostitution is in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
How long should I allow for Red Light Secrets Museum of Prostitution?
Allow an hour. That is the time the collection itself takes at an unhurried pace, before any queue.
What are the opening hours of Red Light Secrets Museum of Prostitution?
Daily 11.00am to 01.00am. Hours change on public holidays, so check the official site before travelling.
Do I need to book Red Light Secrets Museum of Prostitution in advance?
Tickets can be bought on the door at quiet times, but booking ahead fixes the date and avoids the queue at busy ones. Live availability is shown on this page.
