It was cold and rainy on Scott’s birthday last week, which seemed like the perfect time to do something fun indoors. We had been offered the chance to visit the Amsterdam Dungeon and experience its current new sideshows and attractions with a Carnivale theme, which runs throughout the summer. So we set off on our bikes, umbrellas in hand, to see what all the fuss what about.
Now, I’ve only ever visited the dungeons in the UK before (the ones in York and London) and I’ve always enjoyed the fact that they have live actors instead of “haunted house” type attractions with mechanical moving figures. Having said that, I always seemed to get singled out as the “volunteer” to participate in the fun, so I’m always wary to stand too close to the front!
The tour is run in English at the Amsterdam Dungeon, which seemed to prove a little difficult for those from some foreign countries, but as long as you’re aware of it ahead of time and can understand English (including sarcasm and jokes – that’s important!) then you should be fine.
I have to say that in one of the first attractions, the Torture Chamber, I was actually genuinely scared (it doesn’t take much) because all of the lights went out and from the reaction of the crowd, you could tell that strange goings-on were happening to people at random. I had gotten separated from Scott and was sat on my own, so was sure they would come for me at some point, but no-one did and I escaped unharmed.
The overall theme of audience participation is definitely one of the best parts of the dungeons, although as I mentioned, because some people couldn’t understand English, sometimes the humour was lost on them if they were being talked to directly by the actor. I also found that some of the actors spoke a little too fast, so you couldn’t always understand what they were saying, but considering that they are Dutch and are speaking in English, I’m going to let them off on that one.
Despite getting called up to face the jury during the Spanish Inquisition and getting a face-full of water during an autopsy, I actually got off pretty lightly in terms of being picked on. But it was definitely fun to laugh at all the other suckers who were called upon to help out…
The dungeons aren’t the kind of attraction where you’ll learn lots of history about a city; they are more a fun way of letting you experience some of the general gruesomeness of the Plague era, while aiming to scare the pants off you. Apart from one show, I never saw or heard any mention of the Carnivale theme that is currently running during the summer, so I’m not sure if we missed it, if the tour was just too busy that day or if it isn’t really going on at the Amsterdam venue. Either way, it’s still a fun way to spend a couple of hours on a rainy afternoon, especially if you like shows with audience participation or love scaring yourself silly.
- The Amsterdam Dungeon is open 364 days a year, 10am-6pm in summer and 11am-5pm in winter
- Ticket prices are €22 on the door, and either €14.50 or €16 online in advance (discounts for children)
- You are not allowed to take any photos throughout the tour
- The tour is conducted in English, with some signs in Dutch
- You can find out more information over on the dungeons website
Disclaimer: I was offered complimentary tickets to the Amsterdam Dungeon in return for a review of the attraction, however all opinions are my own.
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