The Amsterdam sexmuseum “Venustempel”

Venustempel Sexmuseum, also popularly known as the Temple of Venus, is the oldest and first sex museum worldwide situated in the center of Amsterdam. It is a seriously delighting museum, which features a vast collection of erotic statues, artifacts, paintings, photographs, recordings, and cartoons that look at several aspects of sensual love throughout the ages.

The collection is well-displayed in many rooms that bear names of personalities said to have had an influence on the history of erotism and sex, like the Mata Hari, Marquis de Sade, Marquise de Pompadour, and so on.

Venustempel Sexmuseum first opened doors back in 1985. At the time, it was displaying small erotic objects or items from the 19th century. To the surprise of the owners, the people were enthusiastic about this exhibit, and they expanded its collection. Today, the museum sees roughly 500 000 visitors annually.

The Temple of Venus is more than a display of sexually stimulation sculptures and pictures. People learn more about the history of sex as it reveals and illustrates the attitude individuals had towards the sex act, from Classical Antiquity to the Victorian Period.

Visitors may be astonished to learn how free and open historical civilisations were. If you think this modern era’s moral values are loose, take a look at the ancient Romans and Greeks; it’s quite revealing.

There is a sizeable statue of Venus that will greet you as you walk through the sex museum doors, setting the stage for the look and feel of Venustempel.

The ground floor has the Casanova Gallery, Fanny Hill Street, and Marquis de Sade Hall. Most persons are familiar with the Casanova, a famous writer who was quite notorious for seducing ladies. Marquis de Sade was a famed pornographic book writer once jailed in the 1700s for his violent sexually exciting escapes. Fanny Hill was a popular protagonist & London prostitute in the ‘Memories of a Woman of Pleasure’ novel.

The first floor has the Valentino Gallery dedicated Valentino, the first male sex symbol in the world. Marquise de Pompadour Hall, Oscar Wilde Hall, and Catharina the Great Hall can be found on this floor as well.

On the second floor, there is Vargas Hall and a hall that is undergoing renovations.

Venustempel Sexmuseum is conveniently situated near the Central Station within the canal ring of Amsterdam. It is about a 5-minute walk from Dam Square and located close to well-known attractions, like the Royal Palace, the Anne Frank House, and the Oude Church.

The museum is open from Monday to Sunday, from 09:30 a.m. until 11:30 p.m. Because of the erotic nature of this museum, visitors under sixteen years aren’t permitted to inside and so, identification may be needed. The admission fee is four Euros.

You should know that the museum isn’t accessible to strollers or wheelchair users. Plan at least an hour for your visit; that is plenty of time to enjoy taking in the exhibitions.
Tickets for the museum include full access to all the exhibitions; you can explore the small museum on a self-guided tour.