Sex Museum

Sex museums occupy a unique position in the cultural landscape: part art gallery, part history lesson, part celebration of human sexuality that mainstream institutions rarely touch. They attract curious travellers, couples looking for something different and genuine students of erotic art and social history. Whatever brings you through the door, a good sex museum delivers an experience unlike anything else on the tourist trail.

The world's sex museums range considerably in character. Amsterdam's Erotic Museum in the heart of De Wallen sits alongside the city's famous red light district and focuses on the history and culture of erotic art across centuries, with a particular emphasis on the Netherlands' own liberal tradition. Prague's Sex Machines Museum takes a mechanical and historical approach, housing a remarkable collection of erotic devices and contraptions from across the ages that manages to be simultaneously educational, bizarre and genuinely fascinating. The Icelandic Phallological Museum in Reykjavik dedicated entirely to the phallus in all its natural and cultural forms has achieved international fame for its singular focus and is one of Iceland's most visited attractions despite — or because of — its subject matter.

Erotic art museums and dedicated sex museums are found across Europe, Asia and the Americas, reflecting the universal human interest in sexuality as both a physical reality and a cultural force. Many sit in cities with active adult entertainment scenes, making them a natural complement to an evening exploring a city's nightlife. Others stand entirely apart from commercial adult entertainment and function as genuine cultural institutions with serious curatorial intentions.

Visiting a sex museum is legal everywhere they operate — by definition they are licensed public attractions. They welcome couples, groups of friends and solo visitors equally. Minimum age requirements vary by museum and country, typically requiring visitors to be 18 or accompanied by an adult. Photography policies differ: some museums welcome photography throughout, others restrict it in certain galleries.

Browse our listings of sex museums and erotic cultural attractions by city and country below, and find the best erotic museum near you.