Museum of Prostitution

Posted on: May 28, 2014

Red Light Secrets – Amsterdam’s Museum of Prostitution

World’s first museum of prostitution, also known as “Red Light Secrets” opened its doors in december 2013. The new prostitution museum is a bit hokey, the kind of place where a tout stands outside and offers discounts if you visit right now. But the Museum of Prostitution also fills a gap by showing visitors what a Red Light window brothels looks like from the inside and answering basic questions about the industry. There are photo opportunities aplenty. For example; it offers two red illuminated windows with two stools behind it allowing visitors to sit in the windows themselves. Get yourself photographed while people on the streets are looking at you.

Amsterdam’s Project 1012

Amsterdam is famously open-minded when it come to prostitution. But since 2008 a bit of a tussle has ensued as the City of Amsterdam embarks on a plan to reduce to number of windows brothels. Also, the local government wanted to have more variety in the area. The city says organized crime has entered the scene and must be stopped; many opponents say the city simply doesn’t like its reputation for sin. The result: many spaces in Amsterdam’s Red Light Districts are being converted to galleries, museums, shops, cafes and whatnot. This Museum of Prostitution is also part this plan, locally known as “project 1012” – which is the zipcode of the area.

There used to be a few real window brothels on this spot but this since 2013 they have been replaced by this attraction. Most sex workers in the Red Light District are not a huge fan of this, because for them this means less possibilities to rent a window. Also, the prices of the window brothels have increased the last few years due to the decrease in windows.