Experts' Choice Award Rijksmuseum de Gevangenpoort
What the experts agree on
Medieval prison turned museum showcasing seven centuries of crime and punishment history. Dark, intriguing, and genuinely gruesome—perfect for older kids fascinated by the macabre side of history.
“Originally a gatehouse to the local duke's castle, Gevangenpoort was converted to a prison around 1420. In 1882, it opened in its current incarnation as both a monument to its own past and a museum.”
– Fodor's
Lonely Planet "Across the Hofvijver from the Binnenhof, the Gevangenpoort is a surviving remnant of the 13th-century city fortifications." Full review
Michelin Guide 0 Stars
"This museum is in the intriguing setting of a former prison." Full review
Atlas Obscura "A seven-century-old jail tells a not-so-pleasant history of crime and punishment.
" Full review
The Guardian "Older children (eight and over) interested in crime and punishment, or with a taste for the gruesome, should head to De Gevangenpoort (the Prison Gate), a museum housed in a medieval prison and displaying instruments of punishment and torture"
