Museum Vrolik Academic Medical Center – hidden gem

There are lots of museums in Amsterdam and while some may be more popular than others, a few of them have quite unique features. One of such unique museums is Vrolik Museum Amsterdam.

Vrolik Museum is, without a doubt, one of Amsterdam’s most unique and unusual museums. It is home to an extraordinary collection of medical case studies, accrued by 19th-century medical professor Gerardus Vrolik, his son Willem and numerous other medical professionals.

The museum was established at the end of the 18th C. medical collection of pathological specimens, anomalous embryos, odd skulls and bones are used until today by the Faculty of Medicine students of the University of Amsterdam. Named after its originator, 18th and 19th-century anatomy professor from Amsterdam, Museum Vrolik is today one of the few museums of its kind in the world.

The collection of professors of anatomy Gerardus Vrolik (1755-1859) and his son Willem Vrolik (1801-1863) was purchased by the city of Amsterdam in 1869 and eventually found its home at the Academic Medical Center (AMC), one of the largest hospitals of The Netherlands, in the most south-eastern part of the city. Other anatomical collections have been added to the museum over the years. There are also a number of animal specimens in the collection.

Anatomical collection

Not for the faint-hearted, the unique collection contains an extensive range of conserved anatomical specimens, skeletons, skulls, anatomical models and reconstructions. Of huge scientific value is the collection of specimens showing birth defects, including Siamese twins and cyclopean babies.

Watch the video below to get a good impression of the treasures that are awaiting you at maybe the most impressive museum when it comes down to artworks originating from the Netherlands.

Vrolik Museum opening hours

The Vrolik Museum is open 5 days a week and closed on the weekends. It’s also closed on all public holidays, with the exception of Good Friday and Liberation Day.

Tickets and prices

Tickets for the Amsterdam Vrolik Museum can only be bought at the entrance.

Guided tour: € 35, = per group plus entrance fee. You can easily sign up via the form on the Museum Vrolik website.

Address, and Contact Information

The museum is housed in the medical faculty (building section J) on the ground floor. The best way to reach the museum is through the entrance to the medical faculty. After entering you turn left before the counter. The museum is on your right (room 130). From the Amsterdam Central Station, visitors can get there by metro.

Address
Vrolik Museum
Meibergdreef 15
1105 AZ Amsterdam
+31 (0)20 566 4927

The pictures below were taken on a visit to the Vrolik Museum. Discover the rest that the Vrolik Museum has to offer by yourself when you visit.

Public transport to Museum Vrolik

Vrolik Museum is accessible from every part of Amsterdam. From the Amsterdam Central Station area, visitors can find their way to the Vrolik Museum by metro. The following metros will take you to these stops:

From Amsterdam Central Station:

Metro 54, heading to Gein, stop Holendrecht

From Amsterdam Sloterdijk:

Metro 50, heading to Gein, stop Holendrecht

From Amsterdam Schiphol Airport:
From Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, take an Intercity train to Amsterdam Bijlmer Area, take the metro 50 from there and stop at Holendrecht

Take a look at one of the following museums below or go back to the general Amsterdam museums page.