Middelheimmuseum

Om museet

The park around Middelheim Castle is already mentioned in documents from the 14th century. From the 16th century it was a summer residence for wealthy Antwerp families. In 1910 the city of Antwerp bought the neglected estate, together with Den Brandt and the Nachtegalen Park, to turn it into a public park. During the Second World War the park was used as a storage site, causing considerable damage.

In 1950 Mayor Lode Craeybeckx opened the first international open-air sculpture exhibition in Middelheim Park, inspired by examples in London and Arnhem. It showed 167 works by 121 artists and drew 125,000 visitors in three months. The Open-Air Museum for Sculpture Middelheim was established shortly afterwards. From 1953 the permanent collection was housed at the castle, and the biennials followed; the twentieth and last biennial took place in 1989. In 1971 architect Renaat Braem designed the Braem Pavilion for fragile works and temporary exhibitions.

In 2000 the park gained seven hectares, and in 2012 the castle was renovated and new entrances, a shop and a café were added. In 2023 and 2024, 224 artworks were rearranged into thematic zones, parts of the park were sustainably redesigned and a new visitor pavilion opened. In 2025 the museum celebrated its 75th anniversary. During the corona crisis, Middelheim Museum was the only museum in Antwerp to remain open.

Højdepunkter

• Sculptures in a park estate, free admission
• Collection in five zones: Movement, Human Nature, Urban Wilderness, Fusion and Interfaces
• Open-air depot with works being restored or removed from display
• Braem Pavilion by architect Renaat Braem (1971)
• Middelheim Castle and museum library in the Collection Pavilion

Permanent udstilling

• Collectie in het park – The permanent collection is spread thematically across the park in zones (Movement, Human Nature, Urban Wilderness, Fusion and Interfaces); an open-air depot shows works being restored or removed from display.

Grundlagt

1950

Ejer

Stad Antwerpen

Entrépriser & rabatter

Der er gratis entré.

Admission is free and no ticket is needed; some activities do charge. A museum pass (one year's access to more than 250 Belgian museums, €64.95) can be bought on site.

Tilgængelighed

• Delvis kørestolsvenlig
• Elevator: ingen oplysninger
• Handicaptoilet
• Handicapparkering
• Servicehunde tilladt
• Taktile tilbud: ingen oplysninger
• Rundvisninger på tegnsprog: ingen oplysninger
• Letlæste tilbud: ingen oplysninger
• Synstolkning: ingen oplysninger

The park has nine entrances. The park paths are uneven in places; ask at the Visitor Pavilion for the best route. The castle has five steps at the entrance, which makes the castle and the café on the ground floor harder to reach by wheelchair. Two wheelchairs are available on request (book by phone or email; collect from the Visitor Pavilion). A golf buggy can be arranged on request but is temporarily unavailable. An accessible toilet is located opposite the Visitor Pavilion in the heart of the museum; two parking spaces for people with disabilities are at the main entrance.

Børn og familie

Velegnet til børn og familier

• Familieomvisninger & workshops
• Puslerum

The website offers a programme for families, with activities for children and their parents or grandparents. Changing tables are in the heart of the museum and in the Collection Pavilion.

Transport & parkering

The nearest Velo bike-share station is at the junction of Middelheimlaan and Beukenlaan (further stations 270 and 273). Bicycle and scooter parking at several entrances.

Service & spisesteder

• Museumsbutik

The museum café MIKA in the castle is temporarily closed for renovation. The museum shop is in the Visitor Pavilion. Drinking water points are in the Visitor Pavilion, the Braem Pavilion and the Collection Pavilion; picnicking in the park is allowed, but please take your litter with you. There are also places to eat and drink around Nachtegalen Park and Park Den Brandt.

Arrangementer & udlejning

Museet har ikke offentliggjort oplysninger om dette.

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