Visit Vrolik Museum is a small anatomical museum located within the Amsterdam UMC hospital.
The latter is part of the University of Amsterdam.
Today, I invite you to explore the place.
Sensitive souls, please refrain!
Vrolik Museum: article summary
Vrolik Museum: at a glance
The facility boasts a unique and extraordinary collection of around 10,000 anatomical and embryological specimens.
The museum focuses on birth defects. It may not be suitable young children and all sensitive persons.
The museum is named after Gérard Vrolik (1775-1859) and his son Willem Vrolik (1801-1863), both professors of anatomy in Amsterdam.
They have acquired a private collection of specimens in their home in order to better understand the natural forces of growth, development and malformation.
On their death, the collection was donated to the Athenaeum Illustre in Amsterdam. In 1984, the Vrolik Museum was opened at the AMC Hospital.
Discover the Vrolik Museum
The Vrolik Museum houses a vast collection of human and animal skeletons. These include the bones of people suffering from diseases such as rickets and tuberculosis, common in the 18th and 19th centuries.
There are anatomical presentations of human organs. Here you can find exposed organisms such as :
- The heart
- The lungs
- The digestive system
- Urinary/genital tract
- The brain/spinal cord
Embryonic development is studied in detail, and the most striking part of the museum is perhaps the dedicated to congenital malformations.
Carefully preserved specimens
Specimens preserved in glass jars show children with severe abnormalities such as :
- Cyclopia
- Siamese twins
- Cerebral and cranial abnormalities
- Spina bifida
- Dwarfism
- Umbilical hernia
- Sirenomelia
Preservation techniques using alcohol were developed from the 17th century onwards, originally initiated by Amsterdam anatomist Frederik Ruysch (1638-1731). Improved preservation methods were then used to study tissues and organs in detail.
Each cabinet display includes a laminated sheet with explanations in Dutch and English.
Vrolik Museum: important things to know
Please note that you cannot take photos inside.
The museum office has a small store selling a range of items. There are cafés within the AMC hospital.
The Vrolik Museum is sure to please medical students and anyone interested in anatomy, biology and medicine. It's well worth go out of town to visit the site and take a tour of the facility.
In the same spirit, the Body Worlds Amsterdam exhibition, located in the city center, presents human bodies under "plastinate".
What are the opening hours of the Vrolik Museum?
To visit the museum, you can pick up :
- Monday to Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The museum is closed to the public at weekends.
How much does admission cost?
As far as admission is concerned, you should allow :
- 10 € for adults
- 5 € per child aged 5 to 17
Admission is free for children aged 0 to 4.
How do I get there?
The museum is located inside the Amsterdam UMC hospital, in the south-east of Amsterdam, on the outskirts of the city. You can reach it by taking the tramway or the metro to Amsterdam Holendrecht station.
Since the stationThe museum can be reached on foot in 5 to 10 minutes. Go to the main entrance and follow the signs to section J of the hospital, where you'll find the museum (room 130) on the first floor.
The Vrolik Museum is a special place to visit in Amsterdam. However, the curious and those with a passion for the medical field will find it an ideal place to visit. will discover many exceptional pieces in this venue.
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