Brussels has numerous museums due to its rich cultural history. Here are 9 great places to visit!
Table of Contents
Best museums in Brussels
Royal Museums of Fine Arts (Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts)
One of Brussels’ most important cultural centers and one of Europe’s largest and most prestigious art museum complexes.
Founded in 1801, it has since amassed a rich collection containing over 20,000 artworks. The museums are divided into four separate institutions, each covering different periods and styles:
- Museum of Old Masters: showcases European painting from the 15th to the 18th century, especially Flemish and Dutch masters. Key pieces in the collection include works by Pieter Bruegel, Peter Paul Rubens, and Anthony van Dyck.
- Museum of Modern Art focuses on 19th and 20th-century art, with particular emphasis on Belgian artists. The collection includes symbolist works by James Ensor and Fernand Khnopff, as well as pieces by Constant Permeke and Paul Delvaux.
- The Magritte Museum focuses on the oeuvre of Belgian surrealist painter René Magritte. It’s one of the world’s largest Magritte collections, showcasing over 200 paintings, drawings, sculptures, and photographs.
- The Fin-de-Siècle Museum showcases the period from the late 19th to early 20th century when Brussels became an important center of the art world. Works displayed here include Art Nouveau, decorative arts, and the influence of literature and music on visual arts.
All information can be found here!
BELvue Museum
Located in the former Bellevue Palace, this museum showcases Belgium’s rich history and development.
Its permanent exhibition presents Belgium’s history divided into seven major themes: democracy, social progress, economic development, social relations, culture, education, and international relations.
The museum displays unique historical objects such as personal items of Belgian kings and queens, political documents, old photographs, and posters, helping visitors learn about Belgium’s past.
All information can be found here!
City Museum
This museum presents the rich past and cultural heritage of Brussels’ history. It’s located on the Grand-Place square, in the elegant Maison du Roi (King’s House) building.
Its main purpose is to showcase Brussels’ historical development from the Middle Ages to the present day. The exhibitions use maps, models, documents, and artifacts to illustrate the city’s architectural changes, economic growth, and cultural flourishing.
One of its most popular sections is the history and costume collection of the famous Manneken Pis statue. This small bronze statue, one of Brussels’ most well-known landmarks, receives special outfits for various celebrations and events. The museum displays hundreds of costumes that Manneken Pis has worn on different occasions.
The museum pays special attention to Brussels’ famous carpet and tapestry-making tradition. In the 16th and 17th centuries, Brussels was world-renowned for these luxury items. Additionally, its rich painting collection captures various periods in the city’s history.
All information can be found here!
Museum of Natural Sciences (Museum voor Natuurwetenschappen)
One of the world’s oldest natural science museums, particularly famous for its impressive dinosaur collection.
The Dinosaur Gallery is among the world’s largest exhibitions of its kind. The main attraction is the collection of Bernissart iguanodons, discovered in 1878 in a Belgian mine. The skeletons were preserved almost intact, and visitors can see 30 skeletons as part of the exhibition.
The museum also covers several other topics. The Earth’s Origin and Evolution exhibition showcases our planet’s geological history and the emergence of life. The History of Life section traces the development of living beings from the first single-celled organisms to complex ecosystems.
All information can be found here!
Choco-Story Brussels
Who hasn’t heard of Belgian chocolate!
Located near the Main Square, this museum presents the history of chocolate from its beginnings to modern production technologies, including praline manufacturing.
One of the museum’s highlights is the chocolate-making demonstration, where experienced master chocolatiers show traditional and modern chocolate-making techniques. Of course, visitors also get to taste samples!
All information can be found here!
Comic Art Museum
Also known as the Comic Strip Center, this museum showcases the past and present of comics from their inception.
Why is this museum here? Because Belgium has the highest number of comic artists in the world. Many world-famous comic book artists and characters originate from here, such as Tintin, Lucky Luke, and the Smurfs.
The museum offers colorful and diverse programs, events, and group guided tours, and it also has its own library.
All information can be found here!
Beer Museum
Located on the Main Square, this museum provides insight into Belgian brewing traditions, which date back over 1000 years. Belgium has hundreds of beer types and breweries.
Visitors can learn about the history of brewing from early times when beer was made in monasteries, up to modern breweries. The most interesting part is the exhibition of traditional brewing equipment. Here you can see old brewing apparatus such as copper kettles, fermentation tanks, and other brewing tools.
Belgium is famous for its diverse beer types, and in the museum, visitors can learn in detail about different beer styles, such as light beers, wheat beers, brown ales, as well as special Trappist and abbey beers.
Of course, tasting is also part of the experience!
All information can be found here!
Musical Instruments Museum
One of the most impressive music museums in the world, housed in the former Old England department store building in Art Nouveau style.
Founded in 1877, it’s part of the Belgian Royal Museums of Fine Arts and History. The museum’s collection was originally based on the Belgian royal family’s collection and has continuously expanded over the years with donations, purchases, and instruments acquired through archaeological excavations.
One of the most significant parts of the museum is the collection of historical instruments, featuring instruments from different eras and places. This includes instruments from ancient civilizations such as Egyptian, Greek, and Roman cultures, as well as instruments from the Middle Ages and Renaissance.
All information can be found here!
Autoworld
The museum is located in the impressive building of Cinquantenaire Park and showcases more than 250 classic, vintage, and modern cars from various periods and countries.
One of its main attractions is the rich collection of vintage and classic cars, displaying models made in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These include the first motorized vehicles created at the dawn of motoring. Early models of iconic brands such as Bugatti, Rolls-Royce, Ford, and Bentley can be seen.
The museum pays special attention to the history of the Belgian automotive industry. Belgium boasts several famous car brands, such as Minerva and Excelsior. Additionally, the museum has a collection of modern sports cars and race cars. Visitors can see Ferraris, Porsches, Lamborghinis, and other famous sports cars.
All information can be found here!
Best museums in the world
There are many great museums in the world. Here are some of the best!
