Have you strolled trough the little streets, all along the canals, taking in the beautiful scenery Amsterdam has to offer; are you looking for something different — a scary and, at the same time, funny experience in the very centre of Amsterdam? Don’t worry, I won’t recommend you a Dutch restaurant 😀 The Amsterdam Dungeon is a better place to visit if you’re in the mood for something like that. What is the Dungeon? For sure it’s not a museum, even if sometimes it gets mentioned in museum guides for tourists. It’s a special kind of entertainment, consisting of eleven horror shows which claim to bring you through the dark history of the Netherlands: torture, witches and slavery.

How does it work? Every 15 minutes a group of 30 people enters the Dungeon. A photo of yourself “about to be executed” can be taken right at the entrance. After that, the group is guided by several different actors (each of them impersonating various types of naughty, mean characters) through the several rooms and décors, trying to scare and entertain you at the same time. The actors speak a mixture of Dutch and English (not really translating between the two) which makes it difficult for anyone who doesn’t understand both languages to keep track of what is going on; as you never know exactly what to expect from them, the atmosphere becomes a bit tense. At the end, although it may be hard to believe, there will even be a roller coaster waiting for you, in the dark! A small one — but still, who could imagine something like that right in the middle of a city like Amsterdam? Actually, the whole Dungeon is hosted inside the building of an old church, but this is something you won’t notice until the end. It’s a real church, still owned by the Dutch Reformed Church which makes the whole experience either more authentic or a bit ironic, depending on your point of view.

Aimed at a target audience that includes children from 10 years old, the shows themselves stop short of being really horror, and you should not expect a serious history lesson either. It’s more fun rather than scary, and more theatre than reality. But it’s a unique and interactive experience, nevertheless, with the actors constantly involving members of the audience in their performances. Don’t go there if you are an easily impressionable person, or if you find yourself feeling a little paranoid for whatever reason… Also, I would say it’s better enjoyed if going there with a larger group — it’s that kind of experience.

The Dungeon is easy to reach — right in the city centre, close to Dam Square, on Rokin 78. The show itself will take no more than 80 minutes of your time (waiting in line not included).

Now… if you dare to go there and see it for yourself, we have a surprise: the people from the Dungeons were so nice (but don’t let yourself be fooled by that — they have cruel intentions, for sure!) to give us a few tickets to share with our readers! Given the fact that there are only two tickets and more readers, you’ll have to earn them if you want them. It’s not at all difficult: all you have to do is leave a comment on this article, telling us what subjects and themes you would like to read more about on Amsterdamian. The contest will last for two weeks, ending on 1 September 2013 after which the winner will be announced (yes, one person will get both tickets — it wouldn’t be fun to visit the Dungeons alone!). The tickets are valid up to 31 March 2014, giving you enough time to plan your visit.

Good luck and looking forward to reading your comments!

Update (1 September 2013):

Six comments were eligible for the give-away at the end of the contest:
Lopa, claire, Mariana, emiliana, Alexia, Melissa
We assigned each of them a number from 1 to 6 and then used random.org to pick up a lucky winner…
As you can see on the right, the winner is: Lopa!

Congratulations and we hope you’ll have a lot of fun visiting the Amsterdam Dungeon! Please check your email for a message from us to arrange receipt of your tickets.

Thank you everyone who participated, we’ll keep your comments in mind for future posts, and hope to see you again for other Amsterdamian give-aways!