AfricaMuseum
The Royal Museum for Central Africa, or AfricaMuseum, is not just a reference centre for scientific research but one of the most visited museums in Belgium. Visitors discover the natural and cultural diversity of Central Africa through largely historic collections. Universal themes such as language, music, biodiversity, education, leadership, and ceremonies are presented in detail. Contemporary Congolese artists offer their views on the collections through their installations and artworks in and around the museum. AfricaMuseum also discusses the colonial history of Belgium and tackles its own inception.
AfricaMuseum
Wiels - Contemporary art centre
Booking is compulsory for Wiels. Please consult the museum’s website to book your time slot.
It was the brewer Léon Wielemans who asked his friend, the architect Adrien Blomme, to design and build the new buildings of his brewery in Forest. It became the leading monument of industrial archaeology in the art deco style, and houses now Wiels, an international laboratory for the creation and the diffusion of contemporary art. Focusing on visual arts, but granting a particular attention to the crossings and interactions with other disciplines, the centre wishes to present contemporary art in all its diversity and to offer a permanent dialogue with the developments and the most recent debates of the art world.
Cultural centres
Wiels - Contemporary art centre
Boghossian Foundation - Villa Empain
Opening of Villa Empain to the public according to several themes of organised activities and events (exhibitions, concerts, conferences, etc.) from 2010. La Fondation Boghossian has its international office in Villa Empain, on which restoration work began in 2008. With the Stoclet building, constructed by the Austrian architect Josef Hoffmann in 1911, Villa Empain is undoubtedly one of the finest masterpieces of Art Deco architecture in Brussels. In 1930, Baron Louis Empain, then aged 21 years, had this 2,500-metre-square mansion built on the prestigious Avenue des Nations, which was later renamed Avenue Franklin Roosevelt. He entrusted the building of this fine house to the Swiss architect Michel Polak, assisted by his colleague Alfred Hoch. The plan designed for Baron Empain on a 55-acre plot included a monumental villa with four façades in polished granite, a garden surrounding a swimming pool ornamented with a pergola, and a caretaker's lodge. The modern and luxurious nature of this structure soon aroused enthusiasm and curiosity. It is true that the variety and quality of the materials used (marble, polished granite, bronze, wrought iron, stained-glass windows and precious woods), the sophistication of the details and the coherence of the whole thing with simple but imposing lines immediately contributed to its patrimonial value.
Cultural centres
Boghossian Foundation - Villa Empain
Erasmus House & Beguinage Museums
The Erasmus House, beguinage, and collegiate church of Saints Peter and Guido form a magnificent historical ensemble, right in the heart of the commune. Erasmus House – in which the famous philosopher and scholar stayed from May to October 1521 – is one of the oldest Gothic houses in the Belgian capital. It hosts a sublime collection of paintings, prints and sculptures by 15th-17th century masters like Albrecht Dürer, Hugo Van der Goes, Cornelis Metsys… not to mention portraits of Erasmus inspired by Hans Holbein and Quentin Metsys. A rich collection of 16th century books is a nod to the singular humanist’s thinking.
A medicinal plant garden – designed by landscape architect René Pechère – presents around one hundred medicinal plants that were known to 16th century physicians. Beyond it stretches a philosophical garden that is home to the works of contemporary artists like Marie-Jo Lafontaine and Bob Verschueren.
The beguinage of Anderlecht is Belgium’s smallest. Founded in 1252, today it consists of two wings framing an enclosed garden with its own well. It housed beguines right up until the French Revolution and has been completely and lovingly restored, meaning it could, once again, be re-opened to the public! A new museum project is currently in the pipeline and should be finalised in autumn 2023.
Erasmus House & Beguinage Museums
Flagey
Located on the edge of the Flagey square and next to the Ixelles ponds, this building – formerly the headquarters of the national radio and television institution – has now more than ever become a crossroad where artistic disciplines can meet and exchange ideas. Culture lovers of all ages are welcome in this beautiful Art Deco building, to take part in various events which range from concerts of jazz, world, classical and contemporary music, to film events and video projects. Each year, Flagey has the honor of receiving some of the world’s most prominent artists, yet it still insists on offering opportunities to younger (Belgian) talents.
Thanks to the structural support of the different Belgian communities, and because of the exceptional acoustic qualities of the concert studios, the diversity of programming and events such as the Flagey Piano Days and the Brussels Jazz Festival, Flagey is today one of the leading culture houses on the national as well as the international scene.
Flagey
Belgian Museum of Freemasonry
Historic and thematic overview of the history of freemasonry in Belgium.
The Belgian Museum of Freemasonry is a gesture of openness, an invitation by an institution renowned for it’s discretion and veiled in mystery, to get acquainted with its history. The museum, situated in an exquisitely restored neoclassical townhouse (house Dewez, late 18th century), presents artworks, ritual objects, jewellery, textiles, documents and books from the 18th century and on. They illustrate the origins, historic evolution, workings, ideas and present structures of freemasonry.
Belgian Museum of Freemasonry
Design Museum Brussels
The Design Museum Brussels, established after the acquisition of a private collection by the Atomium, is a place dedicated to design and its history. Since 2015, the museum's collection, the Plastic Design Collection, circumscribes the landscape of plastics in design from the 1950s to the present day. Alongside this collection, the museum opened Belgisch Design Belge, a new permanent exhibition space dedicated to Belgian design and its history.
Enriched by a programme of temporary exhibitions, the Design Museum Brussels also explores other fields of design creation and its impact on society and our daily lives.
Through exhibitions, guided tours, workshops, conferences and events, the museum aims to ensure that design is intelligible to one and all.
Design Museum Brussels
CENTRALE for contemporary art
Nestled in a former power station in the heart of Brussels, CENTRALE for contemporary art is the contemporary art centre of the City of Brussels.
It develops a committed vision of art, beyond boundaries, and connected to the city and to society.
Each year it collaborates with confirmed and emerging artists from Brussels and the international scene to produce exhibitions and multidisciplinary projects housed in its various premises.
CENTRALE for contemporary art
Les Halles de Schaerbeek
Les Halles showcase their independence right in the heart of Brussels, the European capital, in a metal and glass structure dating back to 1901, which has been saved from destruction and wonderfully renovated. Its space is unrivalled and perfectly suited for celebrations, extraordinary projects, as well as both artistic and human adventures. Ever since their beginnings, Les Halles have captured and crystallised movements stemming right from the edges of art and society, in an unprecedented alliance of both learned and popular culture.
It is an ideal space to create new performative formats, going beyond the classic partition between creators and spectators. Unconcerned with the barriers separating disciplines, willing to shake up the norms, Les Halles resonate with a desire for participation and involvment, be it individually or collectively, thus characterising the digital age.
Open to contemporary hopes and upheavals spanning from the neighbourhood right out to the world at large, Les Halles keep on looking for what Europe, still on a quest for its own destiny, has to offer: exploration of new passions, reason seeking out adventure, the utmost freedom of style.
Les Halles de Schaerbeek
La Monnaie
La Monnaie is the federal operahouse of Belgium, residing in the European capital with an international reputation for producing opera’s, dance, concerts and recitals. Beside housing an own orchestra, choir and in-house ateliers, they can proudly rely on a passionate and dynamic team of coworkers and volunteers.
La Monnaie
House of European History
Get ready for a journey like no other!
The permanent exhibition begins with the myth of the goddess Europa, exploring Europe’s ancient roots and the continent’s heritage of shared traditions, before Europe’s dramatic journey towards modernity in the 19th century and rebuilding process following World War II.
A multimedia guide in 24 languages gives you new ways to interact with the exhibition, while special activities and Family Discovery Spaces allow children to grasp the story of Europe.
Located next to the European Parliament in a striking Art Deco building in Parc Léopold, the House of European History is an essential part of any tour of the city.
* Free
* Available in 24 languages
* Book online: See practical information
House of European History
Théâtre Varia
Théâtre Varia
Centre for Fine Arts - Bozar
It’s impossible to talk about culture in Belgium without mentioning the Centre for Fine Arts located in Brussels. Whether it comes to exhibitions, concerts, theater performances, movies or projects concerning literature and architecture, BOZAR will always put originality and innovation first. They prove to keep a finger on the pulse with their varied and sophisticated programme. Besides emphasizing the importance of creation, quality and a rich artistic offering, BOZAR is especially concerned about the total experience of the visitors.
Centre for Fine Arts - Bozar
Parlamentarium
Have you ever wondered how the European Union works and how it affects your daily life?
The Parlamentarium has it covered!
Thanks to its interactive tools like a 360° cinema, a role play game for students and a giant interactive floor map, you’ll learn everything there is to know about the European Parliament. Discover the path that led to today’s European Union and what Members of the European Parliament are doing to tackle Europe’s biggest challenges.
* Free
* Available in 24 languages
* Book online : see practical information
Parlamentarium
experience.brussels
The experience.brussels exhibition can be found in the heart of Brussels, on Place Royale and is the perfect place to discover or rediscover Brussels.
This exhibition offers you a new way to see Brussels and will showcase various famous or little-known places, the institutions and secret spots, as well as the city's greatest asset: its inhabitants who live, build, create, act, come together and blossom in the heart of Europe.
What is Brussels' greatest symbol? A giant atom? A little boy relieving himself? A golden square? Rainy weather? A portion of chips? At experience.brussels you discover the real Brussels in all its diverse, sometimes complex, but always stunning, charming and captivating beauty.
The exhibition presents you with a different and personal overview of Brussels. Turn the pages of our giant book and discover the major moments of Brussels' history; take part in our interactive quiz and test your knowledge of the European Union; learn a few words of the old Brussels dialect!
You will also meet genuine Brussels locals, singular and endearing characters who tell you their story, their anecdotes, their lives in the capital. Use our incredible interactive model and you'll soon have all four corners of the Brussels-Capital Region at your fingertips: its 19 communes and its interconnected neighbourhoods whose variety will amaze you. Expand your appreciation for how this multi-faceted capital works and houses 5 parliaments and go home with your own personalised post card!
Whether you're in town for only a few days or born and raised in Brussels, you will dive into this city's great atmosphere and be stunned by how much Brussels has to offer.
The experience.brussels exhibition is accessible to all and offers you amazing moments to enjoy with friends or family, in a group or alone... Welcome to Brussels!
experience.brussels
Jewish Museum of Belgium
Located in the Sablon district of Brussels, the Jewish Museum of Belgium takes a fresh look at Jewish history and culture through exhibitions and activities focusing on sharing, discovery and accessibility for all sectors of the public.
Firmly anchored in the present day, it is an artistic and cultural place that is lively, dynamic and multidisciplinary, led by a team that values openness, boldness and modernity, and whose goal is to promote a knowledge and understanding of Jewish history, religion and culture.
Through its three principal missions, namely the preservation of Jewish heritage in Belgium, temporary exhibitions reflecting topical subjects and educational activities for school groups, the team is gradually constructing the public face of the New Museum that will open its doors by 2025.
Pending the start of work, visitors can discover a selection of the permanent collection as well as several temporary exhibitions in two buildings covering a total area of five floors. At the same time, the Museum organises a wide range of activities such as conferences, concerts, workshops and literary evenings.
Jewish Museum of Belgium
CINEMATEK
The Royal Belgian Film Archive now called CINEMATEK has one of the largest collection of films in the world, which illustrate the history of film from the beginnings to our times.
The collection increases every year with some 2,000 copies.
Cinematek proposes an excellent programmation with daily silent cinema screenings, anthologies, retrospectives etc.
CINEMATEK
Tram Museum
Trams, trolleybuses, buses, and taxis that have crisscrossed the capital for 150 years can be seen in these warehouses built in 1897. During the opening season you can make a trip with one of the historical vehicles and relive the atmosphere of the early 20th century on the Avenue de Tervuren and in the Sonian Forest.
A dedicated Museum line with old buses takes you to the areas between the Museum and the Place Royale: Cinquantenaire Park, the European quarter, the squares quarter…
Additionally, you can rent the vehicles as well as the museum halls for any kind of event.
Tram Museum
Ancienne Belgique
The Ancienne Belgique has been a special place for live performances since 1979. The AB presents contemporary music, especially rock and pop, from all over the world. Besides concerts with internationally famous artists, the AB offers young musicians three stages where they can perform.
Ancienne Belgique
Botanique
The former botanical gardens provide the unique location for the stylish cultural centre of the French community and are a great place to relax. Concerts are held in the intimate surroundings of its eight spaces and multipurpose halls, of which the most famous are the Orangerie, the Rotonde, the Museum, and the Witloof Bar.
Botanique
Autoworld
An impressive historic building in Brussels, linked with automotive history, is home to Autoworld, the Belgian National Automobile Museum. Situated in the ‘Parc du Cinquantenaire’, the neo-classical building commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Kingdom of Belgium in 1880. From 1902 to 1936 it hosted motor¬car and motorbike exhibitions. Since 1986 it has treasured the major part of Ghislain Mahy’s renowned classic car collection.
Over 300 vehicles, ranging from cars and trucks to motorcycles, are on permanent display. From the earliest models of the dis¬tant past to contemporary cars that prefigure the automobile of tomorrow, visitors are guided through the motorcar’s history dating as far back as 1896.
Various cars representing the most exciting years of the auto¬mobile history since 1960 can be approached and admired from close by, thanks to a brilliantly designed scenography.
Special sections focus on sports and competition, cars owned by the Belgian Royal Family, micro and bubble cars, and car design. The Belgium at Autoworld section is dedicated to the roots and history of the Belgian car industry.
Autoworld is a museum on the move, with temporary exhibi¬tions taking on various automotive themes organised through¬out the year.
More detailed information on autoworld.be
Autoworld
Museum of Ixelles
The Museum of Ixelles has a unique collection of more than 10.000 works of art from the 16th to the 21st century, with a focus on art of the 19th, the 20st and the 21st century. This period covers the history of modern Belgium, with artists such as Rik Wouters, Paul Delvaux, René Magritte or Panamarenko. Last but not least, the museum owns the entire production of lithographic works by the famous artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.
Through permanent and temporary exhibitions, publications, and educational activities, the Ixelles Museum,
founded in 1892, pursues a public service mission with the aim of prioritising education and access to its collections. These testify to the artistic and multidisciplinary vocation of the Museum, which is open to any form of creative work.
Closed for renovation:
The Museum of Ixelles is expanding and renovating, and taking this opportunity to launch major projects: a complete inventory and digitisation of the collections, the launch of a new website and a complete reconceptualisation of the museum in view of its reopening in 2024.
Museum of Ixelles
Train World
Train World is a unique railway experience that takes you from the very first steam locomotives to the flashing high-speed trains! It is a universe that appeals to all the senses in order to grasp the many different dimensions of the railways. A visit to Train World is an active and surprising outing. You can walk among locomotives, take a seat in 100-year-old trains, visit a railway house and walk across a real railway bridge. You will even experience how it feels to drive a train!
Train World
Schaerbeek Beer Museum
This small Brussels' museum is situated in the workshop of a former school surrounded by a beautiful garden, and is devoted to one of the most typical products of Brussels and Belgium: beer. Through its scenography, the museum showcases the various states of beer production and offers a collection of over 2500 beer bottles and about 5000 glasses, some of them unique pieces. Old beer-making machines, coopers' tools, pub and beer signs, various publicity materials and old documents from existing or defunct breweries complete a museum where tasting the famous Schaerbeekoise and Eizelskop is a logical and inevitable conclusion! A free beer (12,5 cl) will be offered during your visit!
Schaerbeek Beer Museum
Children’s Museum
Pioneer in Europe, The Children’s Museum is located in a beautiful mansion which offers a 600m2 exhibition spaces. In this educational environment, where playing has a key role, you won’t find computers nor video games. Stage settings and scenery, wooden toys, workshops are but some examples of the different means the Museum has put in place to help children in the discovery of the world that surrounds them, as well as themselves. Every exhibition is an exclusive creation that benefits from the guidance of various external specialists in different areas of the educational work fields.
Children’s Museum
