Brussels is a city of contrasts, combining modern art with a rich historical heritage. One of the assets of Magritte’s homeland is a great number of museums that display collections on completely different topics, ranging from art to nuclear energy. Every year, Brussels museums attract hundreds of thousands of tourists from all over the world, impressing visitors with their diversity and high cultural value. It is simply impossible to get around all the galleries, so we have prepared a list of the most attractive places for you.
Train World (Skharbek)
The exhibition tells its guests the history of railway transport in Belgium, showing life-size exhibits. Here you can trace the development of the railway industry, see models of the very first steam locomotives and evaluate the designs of the most modern locomotives.
Train World will also talk about the development of the Belgian metro. The museum is equipped with multimedia technologies, which allows visitors to get acquainted with the exhibits in an interactive mode. This is an informative historical attraction that will be interesting for both adults and children.
- You can find the museum at Place Princesse Elisabeth 5 / 1030 Schaarbeek, Schaarbeek, Brussels 1030, Belgium.
- Visiting hours: 10: 00-17: 00 (Tuesday-Sunday), Monday-closed.
- Entrance prices vary depending on the user’s age. For children aged 6-17 and pensioners over 65, the ticket price is 9€, for adults aged 18-65-12€.
- Website: www.trainworld.be.
Musical Instrument Museum
Even a sophisticated tourist is unlikely to pass by this museum: after all, it is located in a historic building dating back to 1899, the unique architecture of which cannot but attract attention. Its collection includes more than 1,000 musical instruments of various cultures and eras (and more than 7,000 in total).
More specifically, the museum has the following collections::
- Western wind and percussion instruments
- Western stringed instruments
- historical keyboards
- electrical and electronic tools
- European traditional instruments
- Africa
- Middle East
- Far East
- India, Afghanistan, Pakistan
- Indonesia
- North and South America
Interesting fact! The oldest preserved saxophone is an exhibit of this museum, its number is 2686. The instrument is engraved with the inscription “Saxophone baryton en mi b breveté, Adolphe Sax à Paris”. It dates back to 1846, when Adof Sax applied for and received a patent for his saxophone.
At the entrance, visitors are given an audio guide, so that everyone has the opportunity to listen to the sound of the exhibits presented and fully enjoy the art of different peoples. The Brussels Musical Instrument Museum often hosts concerts, which only enhances the impression of the tour. The exhibition will be interesting not only for music lovers, but also for ordinary tourists and even children.
- Address: Rue Montagne de la Cour 2, Brussels 1000, Belgium.
- Opening hours: 9: 30-17: 00 (Tuesday-Friday), 10:00 — 17:00 (Saturday, Sunday), Monday is a day off.
- Admission is free for children under 18 years of age. For adults aged 19-64, the ticket price is 10€, for seniors (65+) – 8€.
- Official website: http://mim.be/.
On a note! What other sights to see in Brussels-find out in this article with photos.
Museum of Natural Sciences
It will delight its visitors with the largest exhibition of dinosaur skeletons in Europe. A separate hall of the complex is dedicated to the history of human evolution. The collection of seashells, rocks and minerals is also interesting. Temporary exhibitions are often held within the walls of the building, including exhibitions of butterflies, spiders, beetles, reptiles and frogs.
In the museum you can also see fragments of lunar rocks, fragments of Earth’s mountains and parts of meteorites that once fell on the territory of Belgium. Most of the presented expositions are supplemented with interactive equipment, which makes the process of getting acquainted with the exhibits much more exciting.
- Address: Rue Vautier 29, Brussels 1000, Belgium.
- Opening hours: 9: 30-17: 00 (Tuesday-Friday), 10:00 — 18:00 (Saturday, Sunday), Monday is a day off.
- The ticket price for adults is 7€ (only the main collections) or 9,5€ (main + temporary exhibitions), for children aged 6-17-4,5€ or 7€, for people over 65-6€ or 8,5€.
- Website: www.naturalsciences.be.
Royal Army and Military History Museum
The Royal Museum of the Army and Military History is a veritable realm of military art, featuring thousands of exhibits, including weapons and armor from various eras – from the Middle Ages to the end of the 20th century. Uniforms, orders and medals of Belgian military personnel, paintings and sculptures, aviation objects, firearms and cold weapons, armored vehicles-all this can be seen in the gallery. Especially interesting for Russian tourists will be the hall of the First World War, where exhibits are presented for each participating country, including Russia in the section “Treasures of the Russian Empire”.
Special attention in the Royal Gallery should be paid to the aviation hall, which has a huge collection of military aircraft from different eras. 170 meters long, 70 meters wide, and at least 40 meters high:
Since 1880, this huge glass-and-iron structure has been the backdrop for events ranging from trade fairs to early aviation exhibitions. In 1972, the building began a new life as an aviation museum, open to the public. A large-scale international exchange and advertising campaign allowed the department, which at that time had only about thirty aircraft, to assemble and demonstrate an impressive 130 aircraft and about a hundred outdated engines. Visitors with a true pilot’s spirit will enjoy driving the Hunter MK6.
In the section dedicated to the Second World War, you can get acquainted with installations of military events and evaluate the exhibition of tanks. The Royal Museum will be a real godsend for history lovers.
- Address: Parc du Cinquantenaire 3 / Jubelpark, Brussels 1000, Belgium.
- Opening hours of the Royal Army and Military History Museum: 9: 00-17: 00 (Tuesday-Sunday), Monday-closed.
- Ticket price for visitors aged 19-65 — 10€, for children and young people aged 9-23 years and people over 65-8€, for children under 9 years-admission is free.
- Website: http://www.klm-mra.be.
Charleroi in Belgium-the capital of the “Black Country”
Rene Magritte Museum in Brussels
The Rene Magritte Museum is part of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts. The collection, which is spread over three floors, includes about 200 exhibits reflecting the work of an outstanding artist. The famous Rene Magritte worked in the style of surrealism and made a great contribution to Belgian art. The Magritte Museum in Brussels, in addition to painting, presents a complete set of documents and letters related to the master’s activities.
The museum on the ground floor houses a collection of more than 400 archival documents, photographs and objects, as well as 12 original works. They are put together to describe the evolution of his life: from his youth to the peak of his career. In addition to rare items such as the original painting of his youth, the original manuscript of the Book of Thoughts, advertising works and letters to his clients and friends, the museum constantly exhibits other masterpieces such as Le Témoin (1939), Lola de Valence (1948), or La Lampe d’aladin (1954), not to mention about the unique surreal carpet created in collaboration with his wife Georgette and his friend Paul Nouget. The collection is presented in chronological order and traces his entire career.
The building has many rooms, each of which displays Magritte’s works related to certain periods of his life. The individual lighting of the paintings in the cameras creates a special atmosphere that allows visitors to feel the creativity of Magritte and enjoy his art.
- The Magritte expositions are located at Rue Esseghem 135 / Avenue Woeste, Jette, Brussels 1090, Belgium.
- Opening hours: 10: 00-18: 00 (Wednesday-Sunday), Monday, Tuesday-weekend.
- Prices for admission to the Magritte Museum in Brussels are as follows: ticket for adults — 8€, for children and teenagers (up to 23 years) – 6€.
- Official website of the museum: http://www.magrittemuseum.be.
Royal Museum of Fine Arts
The Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Brussels is a cultural complex consisting of several museums at once, including galleries of old and modern art, as well as famous paintings by Magritte. It combines collections of artistic masterpieces, including works by outstanding artists such as Rembrandt, Brueghel, Rubens, etc. The collection of the Royal Museum of Brussels is quite extensive, and in order to have time to get acquainted with all its exhibits, it is better to plan your visit in advance.
Three separate exhibitions of the royal complex are dedicated to the works of Antoine Wirtz, Constantin Meunier and Rene Magritte. The architecture of the building itself, as well as its refined interior with stucco and sculptures, is also of interest. Thanks to convenient signs and flyers with an exhibition plan, visitors can easily navigate the royal galleries.
- The Royal Museum of Art Brussels is located at Place Royale 3, Brussels 1000, Belgium.
- Opening hours: 10: 00-17: 00 (Tuesday-Friday), 11:00 — 18:00 (Saturday, Sunday), Monday is a day off.
- Ticket price for visitors aged 19-64 — 15€, for seniors aged 65+ – 10€, for children up to 18 years inclusive — free of charge. Admission to the Antoine Wirtz and Constantin Meunier museums is free.
- Website: https://www.fine-arts-museum.be/en.
Autoworld Museum
It has a rich collection of old and new cars that demonstrate the development stages of the design art. Here visitors have the opportunity to track the history of the creation of various brands, as well as get acquainted with the activities of outstanding engineers. A small collection of carriages is also of interest. Motor enthusiasts will enjoy the unique exhibition of motorcycles from different eras.
Most of the exhibitions presented in the museum are interactive. Often, the institution organizes thematic expositions of famous car brands, such as BMW, Bugatti, Lamborghini, etc. The museum’s exhibits will be interesting not only for adults, but also for children.
- Address: Parc du Cinquantenaire 11, Brussels 1000, Belgium.
- Opening hours: 10: 00-18: 00 (Monday-Sunday).
- The ticket price for adults is 11€, for seniors (65+) – 9€, for students-8€, for children (6-11 years) – 4€. An audio Guide service is available for an additional fee (2€).
- Official website: www.autoworld.be.
Comic Book Museum
Recommended for all fans of comics. Here you can trace the history of the industry, get acquainted with the work of Belgian animators and learn drawing techniques. On the ground floor of the building is a library, where guests can explore the art of comics in more detail.
On the second floor there is an animation hall containing a large number of original works by various authors (mostly Belgian). The main exhibition is located on the third floor: it tells about the evolution of Belgian comics. At the entrance to the museum, there is a gift shop where everyone can buy their favorite comics and related paraphernalia.
- You can find the Comics Museum in Brussels at: Rue des Sables 20, Brussels 1000, Belgium.
- Opening hours: 10: 00-18: 00 (Monday-Sunday).
- Ticket price: for adults-12€, for seniors (65+) and young people (12-25 years) – 9€, for children (up to 12 years) – 5€.
- Website: www.comicscenter.net.
Not all museums in Brussels are included in this list. The capital of Belgium will be interesting for absolutely any traveler: after all, if you are not interested in Magritte’s works, you can always go to the automobile exhibition. As an additional cultural institution, we recommend visiting the Chocolate Museum in Brussels, where you can learn about the history of chocolate production and try them out.
