There was a time when a tulip bulb was worth as much as a canal house. This tulip mania, a period when the Netherlands was completely captivated by the flower, also caused the world's first economic bubble?
In our Tulip Museum, this incredible story of tulip inflation comes to life. Sylvia Pennings, director of Tulip Experience Amsterdam, shares her discoveries about how a small mountain flower from Asia grew into a symbol of wealth and beauty, and made the Netherlands famous. A fascinating history that still resonates with us today.
The tulip came to the Netherlands from Kazakhstan in the 16th century, where it quickly became a symbol of wealth and refinement. At that time, exotic flowers were rare, and the tulip became a status symbol. Having a special tulip variety in your garden showed your elite status.
Read more: Where do tulips come from? The history of the tulip explained
In the 1630s, demand for tulips skyrocketed. Traders began speculating, and prices soared to absurd heights.
This period, from 1634 to 1637, is known as tulip mania, or the tulip crisis in the Netherlands. "They even traded in tulip bulbs that were still in the ground," Sylvia explains. "Some bulbs were sold for the price of an Amsterdam canal house with a garden. That's unimaginable now!"
"The tulip was the Bitcoin of the 17th century," says Sylvia. "The flower was so popular that wealthy people even placed mirrors behind their tulips in the garden to make it look like they had more," Sylvia laughs. "You simply had to have one, otherwise you didn't matter."
In the Tulip Experience Amsterdam Museum, you'll see a graph showing the price of a single tulip literally skyrocketing: tulip inflation. And then just as quickly plummeting. The trade and speculation in tulips attracted people from all over Europe. The wealthiest saw tulips as an investment, while the less wealthy hoped to ride the wave. And as the hype grew, everyone lost track.
"It was actually the world's first economic bubble," Sylvia explains. "People believed that the value would only continue to rise. It peaked in 1636 and early 1637. Until it all went wrong."
On Tuesday evening, February 3, 1637, the tulip bubble burst. Buyers could no longer pay their debts, prices plummeted, and within weeks the market had collapsed. The tulips that had once fetched a fortune were suddenly worthless. The tulip crisis was a fact.
"It was over overnight," says Sylvia. "People who thought they were going to get rich lost everything. And yet the tulip remained popular, not as an investment, but as a symbol of beauty."
The story of the Dutch tulip mania became world-famous and continues to crop up in economic studies today. It's a timeless example of how quickly people can be swept away by greed and hype.
At the Tulip Museum at Tulip Experience Amsterdam, tulip mania comes to life. Discover more about the tulip through old prints and captivating stories. Learn how a small flower became a global sensation. "We didn't want to make it too dry," smiles Sylvia. "History is more fun when you can experience it."
Tulip Experience Amsterdam is a must-visit this spring when visiting the Bulb Region in the Netherlands. With a unique combination of the Tulip Museum, a magical show garden with no fewer than 4 million tulips (in 700 varieties!), and tulip picking in the indoor picking room (included in the ticket!), you'll immerse yourself in the world of tulips.
Tulip Experience Amsterdam is open from March 19 to May 10, 2026. You can book tickets via our website. Would you also like beautiful tulips in your garden? Then order our tulip bulbs from our nursery via the Tulip Experience Shop.
The Dutch tulip mania teaches us not only about history but also about human behavior. "It shows how quickly an entire society can become captivated by something beautiful," says Sylvia. "Whether it's tulips, houses, or cryptocurrencies, the principle remains the same."
Yet, Tulip Experience Amsterdam sees tulip mania not only as a warning but also as inspiration. This period made the tulip famous and put the Netherlands on the map as the world's leading flower country. "Without that frenzy, the tulip might have never become such an important symbol of the Netherlands," says Sylvia.
This article was written in collaboration with Sylvia Pennings, director of Tulip Experience Amsterdam. Since she was nine, she has helped out at her father's tulip nursery, and in 2019, they founded Tulip Experience Amsterdam. Together with her family, she lets visitors experience the magic of the tulip and shares the story of the bulb grower.
