The Embassy of the Free Mind is a museum and library in the historic House with the Heads on the Keizersgracht. Its exhibition explores Amsterdam’s role as a centre of free thinking in the 17th century, when the city welcomed printers, philosophers and religious minorities from all over Europe.
At its heart is the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica, a collection of more than 28,000 works on hermetic, esoteric and mystical traditions, including around 5,000 manuscripts from the 15th to the 19th century, on subjects such as alchemy, Kabbalah and Rosicrucianism. In 2022 it was added to UNESCO’s Dutch Memory of the World register.
There are also tours, lectures, concerts and children’s activities.
Opening hours: Wednesday to Saturday 10:00–17:00, Sunday 11:00–18:00; closed Monday and Tuesday. A ticket is valid all day.
Practical information
- Address Keizersgracht 123, Amsterdam