Amsterdam Dungeon

About

The Amsterdam Dungeon is a haunted attraction in central Amsterdam, Netherlands. It depicts history through an interactive adventure, using live actors, a ride, shows and special effects to simulate historical dark and bleak times. The attraction is owned and operated by British company Merlin Entertainments, and is similar to Merlin's other properties, the London Dungeon, York Dungeon, Berlin Dungeon and Hamburg Dungeon. It opened in September 2005. The Amsterdam Dungeon, its backstage areas and its offices were built into a church known as the Nieuwezijdse Kapel, which closed in 1970. No parts of the original church were demolished and, if needed, the Dungeon and all its sets can be removed from the building so it may function as a church once more. Inside, no part of the church is visible to the Dungeon's visitors. On the Gallow's Field, only the actor's echoing voice betrays its location in the very dome of the church. The Descent (1617): A character known as the Black Jester explains the rules to the visitors and sends the visitors into the elevators, which seem to be taking them far down into the Dungeon. The talking head of Balthasar Gerards, the assassin of William of Orange. In graphic detail, he explains the various methods through which he was executed. Torture Chamber (1545): The Torture Chamber is the most graphically implied exhibit in the entire Dungeon. The (female) torturer lines up the 'prisoners' against a wall and picks out a young male visitor for the demonstration. The visitor is strapped in to a chair surrounded by torture devices, such as the dreaded appendage cutter, the torturer places the appendage cutter near the male's groin and 'demonstrates' the device 'inch by inch'. The Flying Dutchman (1651): In a louche bar called 't Aepjen, a Landlord tells the story of Captain Hendrik van der Decken, known as the Flying Dutchman, whose ghost is expected to visit their bar tonight. The audience then sees a technical show. Black John (1656): In Dr. Deyman's anatomy theatre, a Cleaner eagerly examines the body of the murderer Black John, who is to be painted by Rembrandt the next day. While showing the audience the various body parts, they are disturbed by Dr. Deyman's knocking, and the Cleaner quickly hides everyone in the body room, where Dr. Deyman keeps his corpses. Council of Blood (1571): In an inquisition court during the Eighty Years' War, Judge Vargos of the Council of Blood judges three sinful visitors in name of King Philip II of Spain. One is guilty of being from a certain place, one is guilty of being a 'fashion killer', and, worst of all, one visitor is convicted of being a witch. Labyrinth of Lost Amsterdam: A disorientating and eerie mirror maze themed around the winding, disorientating streets of Amsterdam. The Witch Burning (1542): On the Nieuwmarkt, a Witch Hunter asks the audience to turn on one another and bring forward a witch. The witch is then promptly burned on a stake as part of a pyrotechnic show, before being declared as shockingly alive still, and earning her diploma for witchcraft. The Gallows' Field (1664): The audience is brought to the fields outside Amsterdam, where the executed criminals are hung, and led through treacherous tunnels in the dark.The Nightwatch shows them the body of Elsje Christiaens, and then nearly kills one of the visitors, kept in a cage, but finds out their name is not actually on the list. The Nightwatch offers to let everyone go, if one brave soul enters their hand into a small hole in the wall to retrieve a key. When an audience member obeys, they are let go. Murder on the Zeedijk (1753): In an old tannery, a tanner tells the ghosty story of jealous Helena, who murdered her sister Dina and was cursed forever. The audience then sees a technical show.

Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Photography via Wikimedia Commons.