Free museums in Belgium

The Museum of St. Salvator's Cathedral is housed in the 1912 neo-Gothic chapter house. The museum displays objects from St. Salvator's Church, the demolished St. Donaas Church and the monasteries abolished in the French era. Visitors walk through some 13 centuries of art history, from early Romanesq

The Beghina 1660 Beguinage Museum includes an authentic 1660 beguine house. The museum is dedicated to the world of the beguines.

The most important work of art within St. Gillis Church is the Polyptych of Hemelsdale by Pieter Pourbus, featuring scenes from the life of Jesus. There are also paintings on display by Jan Garemijn and Jacob Van Oost, among others.

The Stedelijk Museum Hoogstraten is located in the Beguinage. The museum is dedicated to the heritage of Hoogstraten with a focus on city history and prehistory. The museum provides an overview of the city's history from 1210 to the present. The archaeological site 'Meirberg' is an important Stone A

The National Bank of Belgium houses its museum in a magnificent nineteenth-century bank building. This is the perfect backdrop to get acquainted with the activities of a European central bank and the history of money. Use the audio guide to visit the museum (free) and test your knowledge of the Eur

Provinciaal Archeologisch Museum Velzeke is located on the site of a Roman trading post. The museum displays a collection of artefacts from 300,000 BC to the early Middle Ages. Among other, visitors learn about the Gallo-Roman civilization in South East Flanders.

The Budafabriek is located in the former textile factory Desmet-Dejaeghere. There are three key words: Love, Work, Share. Buda wants to encourage connections and create new objects or projects.

The Henri-Chapelle American cemetery and memorial is the final resting place for 7992 service men , most of whom lost their lives during the advance of the US armed forces into Germany. The memorial is composed of a long colonnade where the names of 450 of the missing are inscribed. On one end, a si

The Heritage Centre | Sisters of Charity preserves and tells the history of the Sisters of Charity and their achievements in the field of education, health care, and welfare. By extension, we tell the story of women religious in general, of their life behind the convent walls, and of the pioneeri

Alden Biesen, once built by the Teutonic Order of Knights, is one of the largest castle estates in the Euregio. It is now a cultural center of the Flemish Government. In the welcome center, visitors learn about the history behind the historic Alden Biesen site through the permanent exhibition on the

Maurice Verbaet Center is promoting Belgian Modern Art from 1945 - 1975. Since 2015 the Maurice Verbaet Center in Antwerp has been making exhibitions with the focus on post-war Belgian art. Besides the temporary exhibitions, visitors can discover the Caroline & Maurice Verbaet collection in a perman

The Folklore and Beguinage Museum is located in the 1288 beguinage of Dendermonde. The museum is dedicated to everyday life of the late 19th and early 20th centuries: household, living, work, leisure. The museum includes three old houses: a small dwelling converted into a beguinage, the infirmary an

The St. Gorikshallen are former covered market halls. They host temporary exhibitions and events.

The Zwijveke Museum is housed in outbuildings of the former Cistercian Abbey of Zwijveke. The museum is devoted to local history from the French period to the present and displays cultural-historical objects from the 19th and 20th centuries. Various events and figures, politics and culture, justice

Want to learn more about the history of the city of Dendermonde? Then the meat house museum is a must. In the attic you stand eye to eye with the oldest inhabitant of the city: a real mammoth. Regional finds from prehistoric times can also be found here. The second floor provides a fascinating overv

Rufferdinge Visitor Center is housed in an old water mill. The center is dedicated to the historical importance of Landen, best known for the figure of Pepin of Landen.

The Marc Sleen Museum is dedicated to Flemish cartoonist Marc Sleen who is best known for his comic series The Adventures of Nero & Co.

This location revolves entirely around Guido Gezelle (1830-1899), a significant poet and linguist in the Dutch language. His personality and work come to life in the multitude of manuscripts, photographs, and books. You will also find his writing desk, his travel case, and rosary. Gezelle was born i

Hotel Clemmen is a museum in the middle of Ghent's commercial center. Highlights of the collection include a reconstruction of the study and library of Belgian Nobel laureate Maurice Maeterlinck and a Chinese salon. Hotel Clemmen in a patrician residence built in 1746 to the design of David 't Kindt

The Emile Van Doren Museum is located in the former artist's home of Belgian painter Emile Van Doren (1856-1949). The museum is also partially dedicated to this "landscape painter. The museum tells the story of old Genck, where painters since the mid-19th century drew much inspiration from the unspo

Musée communal de la charte des libertés de Huy is located in the 17th-century Friar Minor Monastery. The museum is dedicated to the history of the people of Huy, from prehistory to the present. The museum displays various archaeological and ethnological objects. There is also room for some elements

Wittert - Collections artistiques de l'Université de Liège includes some 40,000 works of art, including prints and drawings old paintings of the 15th and 16th centuries, coins, medals, African art and sculptures.

In the Town Hall in Dendermonde, the visitor is introduced to the interior and the numerous paintings. Most of the paintings on display belong to the 'Dendermonde School', an art movement whose painters mainly practiced landscape painting. Exceptions are some portraits and history paintings by Frans

The Museum of Stone Objects is located in the old St. Bavo's Abbey from the 7th century. The museum displays a collection of stone sculptures, taken from disappeared or restored Ghent buildings.

The Tinel Museum is dedicated to the life and work of Flemish Romantic pianist and composer Edgar Tinel (1854 - 1912). The museum is located in his birthplace. Together with composer Peter Benoit, Edgar Tinel was at the forefront of music in Belgium for many years. Tinel's musical oeuvre has its roo

The Regional Archaeological Museum of the Scheldt Valley is located on an archaeological site. The museum shows what archaeology entails, what happens after excavation and displays the results of field research. It gives an overview of the history of occupation of the Scheldt Valley, from the Paleol

't Gasthuys - Urban Museum Aalst is located in the Oud-Hospitaal, the oldest core of the city. The museum is a historic building in the center. The new display 'DNAalst' tells the story of city and region through 8 themes. There is also a focus on carnival, Valerius De Saedeleer and priest Daens.

The Archives and Museum of Francophone Literature is dedicated to the history of Francophone Belgian literature, foreign literature and poetry, theater and the audiovisual.

The Brouwershuis was built in the 16th century by noted architect Gilbert van Schoonbeke. It was never actually a brewery, but the breweries nearby were supplied with water from the Brouwershuis.

The Aster Berkhof Museum is dedicated to Louis Van Den Bergh, known by the pseudonym Aster Berkhof (1920). Since 2008, the Aster Berkhof Museum has housed the impressive oeuvre of author Aster Berkhof. The author was born in Rijkevorsel-Centrum and raised in Sint-Jozef. Visit the museum and get t

The Gilliot and Roelants Tile Museum is located in St. Bernard Abbey. The museum displays works by Roelants, Sonja Leemans and Ignace Verwilghen, among others. Also on display are molds, special tiles, pay books and photographs from the old factory. The abbey is also home to Heemmuseum Heymissen.

At Musée et le Chateau Comtal, several panels and archaeological finds depict the history of the site.

The Priest Poppe Museum is located in his birthplace. Visitors are introduced to the life of Edward Poppe, a man who was beatified in 1999. The museum exhibits include furniture, drawings, paintings, garments, household goods, books and photographs.

At the Provincial Heritage Center, visitors will discover East Flanders' heritage and heritage policies.

Housed in a castle, the Heemkundig Museum Waasmunster is dedicated to local history, folklore and old crafts.

The René De Clercq Museum is located in the birthplace of Flemish writer, poet, political activist and composer René De Clercq. The museum depicts the poet's life in words and images.

The Romanesque tower of Amay, also called tower of Waroux dates from the 12th century. The tower is made of coal-bearing sandstone and is 15.60 meters high. The tower served as a watchtower for the procurators who were supposed to guard the principality.

Heemkundig Museum Ter Palen - Kasteel Capelderij shows the evolution of Buggenhout and daily life in earlier times through utensils, tools, photographs, reconstructions and models, among other things.

Maison Adolphe Hardy is a small authentic museum exhibiting various objects from the personal life of poet Adolphe Hardy.

The Hofke van Chantraine Arts and Heritage Center is a meeting place for art, culture and heritage enthusiasts. Changing exhibitions are organized.

The Belfius Collection is a Belgian art collection of the Belgian bank Belfius.It is an art collection of more than 4,500 works, the largest private collection in the country. The collection includes Flemish masters from the 16th and 17th centuries, modern art from 1860 to 1960, and art from 1960 to

The Hof ter Saksen is a municipal nature preserve with a landscape park and walking avenues. In addition to the park, castle, orangery and farm building, there is also a nature garden, a standard orchard, the Beverse brook valley with buffer basin and an oak forest.

At the Flemish Parliament Visitor Centre, you get to experience Flemish democracy from the front row. The Visitor Centre is located in the Flemish Parliament’s historical reception hall, in the heart of Brussels. Become acquainted with the 124 members of the Flemish Parliament and get the inside

City Museum 't Schippershof is located in a historic 17th-century building. The museum is dedicated to the history of Menen. Themes that pass by include smuggling, frontier labor, fortresses and World War I. The museum's art department displays works by 20th-century Menin artists, including Georges

The Madmuseum displays over 1800 works by artists with intellectual disabilities from different countries. This international collection is unique heritage in its genre and is often associated with Art Brut, art outside the norm, on the margins or outsider.

The Sart-Tilman Open Air Museum displays a collection of 110 pieces of art, providing an overview of contemporary outdoor sculpture of the last forty years in French-speaking Belgium.

Arts Center Z33 - House for Contemporary Art explores the frontiers of contemporary visual art and design by creating exhibitions that interpret social developments and scientific phenomena. Z33 does not have its own permanent collection, making it more of an art center than a museum.

The International Marionette Museum Peruchet is located in a small rural farmhouse of the 18th century. The museum displays a collection of thousands of marionettes. Some marionettes date back to the 18th century. All types of puppets are displayed in the museum, from different movement techniques t

Stadsmuseum Lokeren shows the most important aspects of the history of Lokeren. Among other things, the museum shows how Lokeren developed, and how the inhabitants of Lokeren worked and how they spend their leisure time. The typical ‘Lokerse haarsnijderij’ industry is also featured in the museum. In

ULB's Contemporary Art Collection is presented in the De Allende Hall, one of ULB's main exhibition halls. The art on display illustrates the university's mission and values.

China Museum Scheut is housed in a missionaries' monastery. The museum paints a picture of the cultural, artistic and folkloric life of ancient China. The collection consists of ornate and striking objects brought to Europe by the Congregation of Scheutists, with the aim of familiarizing young missi

The Rhine and Inland Navigation Museum is a floating museum where the life and working atmosphere of the bargee and his family is sketched through photographs, texts and models, among other things.

The horse museum displays books, paintings, sculptures, films, stamps and lore related to the horse.

At the "Musée du Miel" in Lobbes, visitors learn all about the life of bees and how honey is made.

The Archaeological Museum (UGent) is housed in Het Pand, the former Dominican monastery. The collection consists of finds of both Mediterranean and regional origin.

The school of the time is housed in an old Ghent schoolhouse built in 1901. The museum paints a picture of what the various classes looked like around 1920. It also introduces visitors to the way the subjects were taught. The museum's collection includes school furniture, photographs, decorative han

Musée de la Route is housed in the casemates on Place Nervienne, one of the last two groundless remnants of the fortifications erected by the Dutch Corps of Engineers between 1816 and 1826. The museum is devoted to road construction.

The Monopoli Museum includes carriages, mecanic and electric automata including organs and pianos, model boats and a collection of pipes.

Be-Part is a center for contemporary visual art where three exhibitions are organized annually in line with the rhythm of the seasons: fall, winter and spring.

The Museum of the Integrated Police is dedicated to the history of the various Belgian police forces since the end of the Ancien Régime. The emphasis of the museum is on the former gendarmerie, but it also focuses on other police forces in Belgian history, such as the judicial police, the former mun

Wood Crafts Museum De Wimpe paints a picture of daily activities in joinery, clogmaking, wagon making and cooperage at the turn of the century.

The Gerhagen Forest Museum displays a permanent exhibition "From egg to egg. Through a variety of panels and a many stuffed birds of some 200 species, bird life is presented.

The Institute of Social History Ghent - Amsab preserves and provides access to the heritage of the socialist labor movement, small-left parties, movements around the environment, peace, women's emancipation, migrants, LGBT and the Third World. The archive includes an image and sound archive, flags,

Mola is a museum and a knowledge and information center. The museum is dedicated to wind and water mills. The permanent exhibition highlights water and wind as inexhaustible sources of energy and shows how the mill is the forerunner of all machinery. There is also a focus on East Flanders' mill poli

Forest Museum Jan van Ruusbroec is dedicated to the history and geology of the Sonian Forest. In addition, the typical fauna and flora of the forest is explained and there is a separate section on trees and forestry.

The Town Hall in Turnhout preserves the City Archives and, after the relocation of most city services, is in the process of becoming a Heritage House. Together with the Scientific Library Taxandria it forms, the documentation center of the Kempen. Among other things, there is a print cabinet: the Hi

The Museum of Costume and Lace is housed in four distinguished houses and a warehouse from the 17th and 18th centuries in Brussels. The museum displays a collection of lace that sometimes even belonged to royalty. It also displays a collection of costumes, accessories, fashion prints and other docum

Musee d'histoire et de folklore in Aat displays a collection of various objects and works of art from prehistory to the 20th century. A section of the museum is devoted to archaeological finds from the Paleolithic to the Middle Ages. Other rooms display works of art, including paintings, pieces of f

Museum Wateringhuis is located in the former home of the water boss of the De Watering nature reserve. The museum paints a picture of the area's genesis and natural values. The area is only partially accessible because of the protection of its unique fauna and flora. Among other things, the museum f

The Cigar Museum and Pipe Cabinet is located on the second floor of St. Adriaan Abbey. Temporarily, the collection is housed in the former Music Academy at 26 Collegestraat.

The Folk Instrument Museum is dedicated to folk instruments such as a rumble pot, a clanging organ, a hurdy-gurdy and a bumblebee. In addition to displaying these instruments, the museum also shows prints and archival documents. Many instruments are known from ancient painting, for example from the

The Abbey Beer Museum gives an idea of how and where Grimbergen beer is brewed. Since the French Revolution, Grimbergen Abbey no longer brews its own beer. A visit includes a film, a tour of the exhibition and a tasting of the beer.

The Scouts & Guides Museum Leuven is dedicated to the history of scouting movements. The museum paints a picture of this history through flags, documents and badges.

Musée historique et archéologique de Wavre (CHAW) is housed in the castle l'Ermitage. The museum houses a collection of objects found during excavations in the Wavre region.

Museum Maurice Carême is dedicated to the life and work of Belgian Francophone writer and poet Maurice Carême (1899 - 1978). The museum is located in his old residence. The museum shows how he lived with original furniture, the antiques, and contemporary works of art by befriended painters and sculp

The Archives and Museum of Flemish Life in Brussels paints a picture of the history of Flemish people in Brussels in the 19th and 20th centuries. The collection of Dutch-speaking Brussels heritage includes various documents, correspondence, posters, flags, honorary metals and busts. One exhibition p

The Belgian Museum of Radiology showcases the role Belgium has played and continues to play in radiology. The museum traces the history of this science, from the pioneers of X-rays to the most recent medical developments, such as ultrasound. It is not limited to medicine. There is also a focus on ra

The Museum of the Orthodox Church displays various icons, some typical liturgical objects and priestly garments. Also on display are objects from the first Belgian Orthodox Church founded in Antwerp in 1900.

Experimentarium Physics introduces visitors to the fields of physics through representations of various physics experiments combined with old instruments used by professors in the past.

The Museum of Medicinal Plants and Pharmacy is located in a corridor of the ULB Institute of Pharmacy. The museum portrays past and present medicines through a collection of medicinal plants. The collection includes samples from all over the world, posters, paintings, photographs and didactic object

The Municipal Museum of the County of Jette displays excavations, a collection of paintings, photographs and old documents about the region.

The Municipal Museum of Sint-Lambrechts-Woluwe is housed in the old country home of Brussels rentenier Emile Devos from the late 19th century. The museum displays archaeological finds, memories of club life, agricultural tools, ceramics and silver from the 18th and 19th centuries and work by local a

The André Demedts House is a combination of a static display with information about the life and work of writer and poet André Demedts and a library.

The building housing City Museum De Hofstadt was in the past the residence of the Lords of Diest. The museum displays an art collection that reflects the city's past.

The Natuurpunt Museum is located in the Natuur.huis along the Graatakker. In the museum, four exhibition rooms establish the relationship between nature and heritage.

The Archives of the City of Brussels hold archives of various municipal services, publications and documents on Brussels life and documents from the ancien régime.

The Garden of Medicinal Plants Paul Moens consists of a living collection of medicinal, useful and dangerous plants.

The Center for Research and Technological Study of the Plastic Arts provides an overview of the material history of the artwork.

Museum-Library Michel de Ghelderode displays books, book bindings and printed matter. The museum also covers the following themes: editions of the 19th and 20th centuries, Belgian literature, popular and avant-garde literature, press and journalism.

The Museum of Zoology and Anthropology has a collection representative of all zoological groups. The permanent exhibition has some 3,000 specimens that collectively provide an overview of the evolution of animal species.

In Gemeentemuseum Temse, the story of Temse is outlined through archaeological objects, maps, publications, works of art, a photo library and curiosities. The Scheldt and shipbuilding are central themes in the museum. Eye-catchers include a castle model and a figurative map of Temse from 1750.

The National Museum and Archives of Customs and Excise highlights shady dealings at Belgium's (former) borders. The museum focuses on the operation of the services that acted against them: customs and excise.

Culture House The Scharbiellie is displaying Oceanic art from the collection of honorary solicitor Paul Simpelaere.

Museum Oud-Vredegerecht is located in the former justice of the peace court of Sint-Gillis-Waas. The museum has a photo archive of De Klinge, Meerdonk, Sint-Gillis-Waas and Sint-Pauwels.

Streekmuseum Reinvoart is housed in a typical long-gabled farmhouse. The museum houses an inn, a school, a clog-making workshop, a dining room, and a bedroom. In addition, numerous other household goods, agricultural implements and everyday utensils from the Hageland region of the late 19th century

Ellie's doll paradise contains a collection of some 1,700 dolls. Also on display is a collection of doll carriages and children's dinner sets.

The Curiosamuseum Nollée provides insight into the material culture of Veurne-Ambacht. The exhibition includes wooden miniatures, paintings, shell artworks, café games and municipal shields of West Flanders.

The "Maison de l'Histoire et du Patrimoine" is dedicated to the history and heritage of Val-de-Marne.

Museum de Groot Zoersel Geschiedenis pays attention to local history. Each borough has its own history: Zoersel as a double village with West-Malle, Halle as an ancient seigniory and Sint-Antonius as a hamlet of Brecht.

The Umicore Silver Pavilion displays part of the collection of the (now closed) Sterckshof Silver Museum.

Musée du téléphone is dedicated to the telephone. The museum features more than 500 pieces, the most remarkable of which are on display, since Graham Bell, their inventor, until today.

The Kempens Diamond Center is dedicated to the diamond history of the Kempen.

PAK - platform for contemporary arts - offers contemporary artists the opportunity to present work in an indoor and outdoor setting. Both young, up-and-coming talent and renowned artists can show their work here.

Musée de la vie tihangeoise is located in the building of mainly the municipal administration of Tihange. The musuem consists of 6 rooms where local art, among other things, is displayed.

The Museum of Printing in Luxembourg, in addition to the authentic restored printing shop, displays objects related to the history of printing in the province of Luxembourg and how printers were the witnesses of their time.

The Commando Museum paints a picture of the history of the Belgian Commandos from their founding in Britain in 1942 to the present day.

The Kruiermuseum is located in the old town hall of Balen. The museum paints a picture of daily life in a Kempen village. Among other things, there is a furnished school, a little store and an infirmary.

The municipal museum, archive and documentation center has information and objcts related to the local past. Among other things, visitors can find information about the local history of Melle and its surroundings and genealogy.

Musée des 18 jours displays include documents, uniforms and weapons about regional history during both World Wars, with an emphasis on the 18-day campaign in 1940.

Heemkundig Museum Rijkevorsel is located in the basement of the town hall. The collection consists of over 4,000 pieces of heritage illustrating the past of the North Kempen.

The Ianchelevici Museum is located in La Louvière's old courthouse. The museum displays all aspects of Romanian artist Idel Ianchelevici (1909-1994). In addition to his drawings and sculptures, his life story, his contribution to coin and medal studies and philately are given attention. Temporary ex

The Outdoor Bruegel Museum features 19 large weatherproof reproductions of paintings by Bruegel.

Heemkundig Museum Tempelhof illustrates life in the Kempen in the past. Themes covered include: the past of the brickworks of Beerse, Kempen clothing, the school of yesteryear and religious objects.

The Heemkundig Museum Brugwachtershuis is housed in an 1841 cottage that formerly served as a bridge keeper's house. In the basement is a small collection of old farm implements.

Museum Herman De Cuyper presents the artistic legacy of sculptor Herman De Cuyper (1904-1992), a representative of the animist/intimist art movement in Belgium. Herman De Cuyper was fascinated by great moments of life, the world of the child and the female nude.

The Museum of History in Messines is housed in the Town Hall. The collection includes weapons, works of art, unique photographs, plans, documents and images from the First World War. There is also attention to the town's past, the abbey of Countess Adela of France and the Royal Institution.

Museum Albert Van Dyck is dedicated to the Flemish painter-drawer Albert van Dyck (1902-1951). An intimist painter of silence and tranquility, Van Dyck painted landscapes, nude studies, still lifes and portraits. The museum exhibits some 300 of his works, including oil paintings, watercolors, etchin

Ons Klein-Brabants Boerenf (Our Little Brabant Farmhouse) exhibits the old agricultural alam and vernacular from its own region.

Museum Anton Diez is located in the Ryckewaertshof, a farmstead built in the 13th or 14th century by the Benedictines of St. Rikiers. Artist Anton Diez donated a collection of paintings to the community that is now on permanent display at the museum.

Museum of the Miner's Home illustrates how life was set up for miners. The museum focuses on the life of the miners. The house on the left is furnished like a miner's house from the 1930s. The garden has also been redesigned according to the regulations of the mining company. The house on the right

Museum 'De Kelder' is located in the basement of Tessenderlo's town hall. The museum is dedicated to local history.

The Affligem archaeological museum displays antiquities from excavations conducted since 1974 by the local societies of Asse and Jette on the grounds of Affligem's medieval abbey.

At the Hottemme Domain, visitors can discover a great diversity of fauna and flora protected by Natura 2000, including endangered orchids, butterflies, birds, mammals, reptiles and frog-like species. An exhibition introduces the fauna, flora and rural life of the Ardennes through bioramas.

The Heemerf De Waaiberg wants to bring a testimony of the building style and way of life of the Kempen people in the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. Among other things, a long-gabled farmhouse, longitudinal barn, bakery, biehal and karkot are on display.

The Shipping and Fisheries Museum in Bornem is dedicated to inland navigation and fishing of the past and present.

The small Electrical Museum Pulderbos displays a collection of electrical equipment.

Musée du frère Mutien-Marie is dedicated to the life of Brother Mtien Marie (1841 - 1917).

Heemmuseum Wissekerke is located in the former vicarage of Basel. The museum depicts local history including an authentic 1900 inn.

Musée de la forêt, des lavandières, des outils d'autrefois is an open-air museum that uses wooden characters to illustrate the various activities in the forest.

The Museum of History and Decorative Arts displays a collection of porcelain from the famous Tournai factory of the 18th century. A picture of the richness, beauty and variety of Tournai porcelain is presented. In addition, on the upper floor, gold, silver and bronze coins from the Tournaisian coin

The Huysmanhoeve is the tourist visitor center of the Meetjesland. The farmhouse and gatehouse are protected monuments and the yard, ramparts, service buildings and orchard are protected village sites. Visitors get an insight into the origins of the Meetjesland and a painting tells of several famous

Forest Museum Hallerbos is located on the edge of the Hallerbos. The museum displays various documents, models, fossils, rocks and other objects that highlight the fauna, flora, historical and geological aspects of the Hallerbos, from prehistoric times to the present.