Nature & natural history museums in Belgium

The Natural Science Museum of Belgium has a large collection of about 36 million pieces, of which fifteen million insects and nine million other invertebrates. In addition, the museum displays minerals and moon rocks, dinosaurs and mammoths, whale skeletons, shells and the Neanderthal man Spy. Speci

To visit Meise Botanic Garden is to enjoy plant growth and blossoms, fragrance and colour, opulence and variety – at any time of the year. 20,000 plant species from all over the world grow in a large, green oasis of 92 hectares, either outside in the domain, or inside in one of our iconic glasshouse

Hopmuseum Poperinge is located on the ‘stadsschaalcomplex’ where hop used to be weighed, inspected and stacked. The museum illustrates the history of the hop plant, field works, hop harvest and the various applications of hop. The collection of the museum includes authentic hop tools, historical doc

The Sunshine is a non-profit organization that provides lifetime sanctuary for abandoned, abused and neglected native & non-native wildlife that cannot be returned to the wild. Our goal is to provide lifetime sanctuary for all rescued animals with the care, safety and well-being of the animals as ou

The Museum of Natural History and Vivarium of Tournai (Musée d'histoire naturelle et vivarium de Tournai) is housed in a neoclassical building, with an 1839 gallery a large hall and a conservatory. The museum invites visitors to discover its historical past and the great diversity within the animal

The Arboretum Kalmthout is one of the oldest tree and plant gardens in Flanders. Arboretum Kalmthout features plants from all over the world. Within the plant collection, the witch hazels are the best known. The plant collections focus mainly on trees, shrubs and ornamental garden plants. All plants

The World of Kina: the Garden is a nature museum for children. There are 1,500 plants scattered in thematic beds, including medicinal plants, dye plants, forest and dunes. The plant room provides information about the plant kingdom. There is also a focus on the life of bees, and the spider room incl

Botanical Garden Jean Massart is a five-hectare garden created to study the adaptation of wild plants to their environment. There are three themed gardens: a collection of 400 species of medicinal plants, a collection of cultivated plants and a themed garden illustrating the evolution of flowering p

At Le Paige Castle, exhibitions run almost year-round and are free to visit. There is also an aboretum to visit.

In the PrehistoHan, visitors relive the prehistory of the Cave of Han. The archaeological excavations conducted there are displayed there.

C-Mine is the former coal mine of Winterslag in Genk. In the C-Mine expedition, an old air passage from the former mine has been transformed into an experience center of to be recalled mine stories, mine sounds and mine odors.

There are 48 aquariums with more than 250 small species (fish, amphibians, invertebrates). An audio guide will guide you during your visit, which will take more than an hour. There is a possibility to organize guided tours for all ages, min. 10 people.

On one of the largest star domes in Europe, panoramic landscapes and astronomical images merge and celestial secrets are unveiled.

Musée de l'Iguanodon houses an original petrified skeleton of an Iguanodon 5 meters high and over 130 million years old on display. In addition, the museum houses the collections of the Genealogical Circle of Hainaut.

Mons Regional Museum of Natural Sciences includes a regional collection of zoology. A notable piece in the museum is the skeleton of Julius Koch, aka the giant Constantin who was 2.56 meters tall.

The Museum of the Geul Valley (Musée de la vallee de la gueule)is structured around themes related to the traditions of the Geul Valley. Among other things, it focuses on the exploitation of lead-zinc veins, which was very important for the economic development of the region. The museum displays, am

The Geological Garden of Obourg presents geology, paleontology, mineralogy and other scientific topics in an understandable way and reveals their secrets.

Musée de l'abeille is housed in an old annex of Brunsode Castle. The museum is dedicated to the history of beekeeping. Visitors gain insight into the mysterious life of bees and their hive.

The Natural History Museum Boekenberg is housed in an 18th-century cave complex. The history of the earth is the central theme there. The story begins in the Precambrian and ends in the 16th century, with the excavations of the Antwerp patrician residence Den Draeck. The permanent exhibition include

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.

The NEM, Nature Extraordinary Museum, is a center dedicated to the interpretation of nature in all its facets.

Collection Hugo Voeten is located in Art Center Hugo Voeten (indoor) in Herentals and Sculpture Park Hugo Voeten in Geel-Westerlo (outdoor). Both are unique environments displaying unique art in the green heart of the Antwerp Kempen region. They house the private collection of entrepreneur Hugo Voet

Seafront Maritime Theme Park is a theme park in Bruges in Belgium on the sea, shipping, fish and fishing.

The World of Kina: The House is housed in a side wing of St. Peter's Abbey. It is a natural science museum for children. Using fossils, it depicts the development of life on Earth from primordial times to the present. It also focuses on invertebrates, including a butterfly and shell collection, nati

Where the rivers tell their story ! Open the door to RIVEO and enter the fabulous world of the river ! A surprising world of diversity, natural riches, a universe which we sometimes ponder, regularly encounter, yet often don't really understand. Cross the threshold: nature's treasures are just

The water and fountain museum is located in the building that formerly housed the bird cage, at the entrance to the former animal park of the domain of Genval-les-Eaux. It allows visitors to discover the richness of water, source of life. The museum displays various objects related to water, from ur

The Aquarium-Museum shows the diversity of the animal and underwater world. In the halls of the museum, 1,000 square meters are dedicated to the diversity of animals: from the smallest insects to the elephant. It displays some 20,000 species from all continents, including the gorilla, the rhinoceros

At La Maison Du Pays De Salm, visitors will discover the geology, history and folklore of the Salm country

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

Insect Museum exhibits include wasps, mosquitoes, beetles, cockroaches, spiders and walking branches.

Hidrodoe is an interactive waterDOE center with more than 80 experiments and facts about water.

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 Beekeeping Museum is located in a modern building adjacent to the Kalmthoutse Heide. The museum covers everything related to bees, the transformation of nectar into honey and, the power of pollen and wax extraction. The collection consists of old and unique beekeeping material.

The Grape Museum is located in the old 17th-century tavern "Den Bonten Os. The museum is dedicated to grape cultivation in the region. Among other things, it tells how cultivation started and grew in the 19th century, what "Royal," "Ribier," "Leopold III" and "Muscat" mean, what "glass villages in t

Regional Museum De Zilverreiger is located in De Zilverreiger, a typical example of a 19th-century neo-Gothic town hall. The museum is devoted to old crafts of Klein-Brabant, including clog-making, basket-making and Scheldt fishing. There is also a focus on animal life in and around the Scheldt.

The Dairy Museum tells the story of 500 years of milk bottles, butter churns, afromers, cheese presses and other equipment that make up the collection. The Low Countries are the focus of the museum. In addition to production, there is a focus on distribution: sales at markets and door-to-door sales.

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.

Espace Nature de la Botte du Hainaut houses a collection of stuffed animals with a special focus on Natura 2000 and symbolic Walloon species.

Vegetable Museum 't Grom is located on an 18th century farm site. It is a 'do museum' dedicated to vegetables and horticultural heritage. In the museum, visitors discover forgotten horticultural material. The museum tells how roots grow and what the enemies of plants are. Visitors can

The Europlanetarium is a popular observatory with a planetarium expanded into a Cosmodrome. Visitors explore the stars and planets. There are various exhibitions on flying and space travel.

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

Nature Center House Ternell is a natural history Fens and forest museum that presents a picture of the native plant and animal world and the origins of the High Fens.

Musée du Coticule - Site de Vielsalm gives an overview of the unique geology of the area. The museum shows all the stages of the formation of the "razor stone" in an old workshop where all the machines are still working.

The Museum of Medicine is housed in a contemporary building shaped like a suitboat, near Erasmus Hospital. Visitors there take a journey through medicine from ancient times to the present. Themes covered include: Magic, mythology, shamans, bloodletting, the discovery of the circulatory system, exper

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

Conservatoire Botanique de Wallonie et Musée Vivant de la pomme de terre focuses on the preservation of cultivated plants. The museum has the largest collection of plants of the genus Allium, native to northern Europe. Some varieties date back to the Middle Ages.

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

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.

The Fruit Region Museum is located in a side building in the courtyard of Kolen Abbey. The museum covers the history of fruit growing in Haspengouw. On the basis of photos, texts and relics, among other things, the story is told. Besides fruit growing itself, numerous side activities related to frui

Museum Rupelklei is housed in the forge of the old De Beuckelaer brickyard. Among other things, the museum deals with the process of manual stone making.

The Maison de la Flore Locale has a permanent exhibition on the flora and fauna of the Geer region. In addition, temporary exhibitions are organized.

Musée de la Pierre et du Marbre tells the story of marble exploitation in Europe and South America. The museum displays a collection of marbles, the tools of the quarrymen, life in the quarries in the past, the evolution of exploitation techniques in Basècles quarries, and the daily work of the peop

The Mineralogical Museum displays a collection of domestic and foreign minerals.

The Robert Pourbaix Mining Museum highlights the life of miners, their work and leisure activities.

Musée de la Pierre Sprimont is located in the old power plant of the Sprimont quarry. Visitors there uncover, among other things, the different stages in the working of the stone.

Museum Nature Park Center Botrange displays information regarding the formation and development of the landscape.

Bosmuseum Pijnven belongs to the nature reserve Pijnven, a large and varied coniferous forest. The museum paints a picture of the fauna and flora of the Limburg Kempen region. The emphasis is on the forest as a community of life and on the principles of forestry. A collection of wood species is also

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.

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 Blue Stone and Glass Documentation Center introduces visitors to stone working.

The Broukay Geologium shows the human, archaeological, geological and industrial history of this part of the Jeker Valley.

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.

At Masters of Fire, visitors will learn through a sparkling trail how clay is made into brick, that limestone gives lime and that alum is extracted from schist.

The Museum of Human Anatomy and Embryology is located on the Erasmus University and Hospital campus. The museum caters mainly to students of the Faculty of Medicine at ULB. The museum displays human specimens, a collection of embryos, fetuses, anatomical representations in wax and plaster, objects o

The core message of the EHA is to also try to stop the ozone hole, save the rainforest and reduce waste at home. The permanent exhibit "Doing More with Less" deals with ecological building and urban living. The theme of the exhibition is the remodeling of three houses that show how energy, resources