CAP – Musée des Beaux-Arts de Mons

About the museum

The Musée des Beaux-Arts de Mons owes its origins to a bequest from Henri Glépin, who in 1895 left a considerable sum to the City to found a museum for its collections of porcelain, earthenware and medals. The building on the rue Neuve, constructed from 1908 to designs by the architect Rau, was inaugurated in 1913 in the presence of King Albert I.

In the 1960s temporary exhibitions took on a growing role; the museum was extended and reopened in 1970. Its permanent collections consist mainly of paintings, prints, sculptures and drawings from Mons, Hainaut and Belgium, including the Nervia school of Mons and the Duvivier collection of international art from the 1960s to the 1990s. The education service Dynamusée was created in 1985.

A new building, designed by the Paris architect Christian Menu, was inaugurated in 2007 under the name BAM, a name invented by students of the Faculté polytechnique de Mons. Renovated in 2013, it hosted exhibitions of international scale, for example Andy Warhol, Van Gogh in the Borinage, David LaChapelle or Auguste Rodin.

Since the opening of the CAP in April 2024, the BAM has once again become the Museum of Fine Arts. Together with the Maison des Collections and the ‘Poirier Beurré’ garden, it forms a museum complex in the heart of the city. The museum presents temporary exhibitions that showcase the Mons collections and opens itself to the city through monumental installations.

Highlights

• Major temporary exhibitions devoted to international artists and movements
• Modern building by Christian Menu, inaugurated in 2007
• Mons collections of the 19th and 20th centuries, including the Nervia school
• Duvivier collection of international art from the 1960s to the 1990s
• The ‘Poirier Beurré’ garden and the Maison des Collections on the same site

Founded

1913

Operated by

Ville de Mons (Pôle muséal)

Admission & discounts

Free admission: First Sunday of the month

Prices vary by temporary exhibition: the full adult rate ranges from €10 to €17, the reduced rate from €7 to €12. Free admission with the museumPASSmusées. The Mons Card offers discounts (24 hours). The ‘Poirier Beurré’ garden is free to access.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The CAP is accessible to people with reduced mobility: accessible entrance, lift, reception adapted to wheelchairs and accessible toilets; walking sticks with seats and wheelchairs are available at reception.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops

The Dynamusée education service offers activities for families and children, as well as courses during school holidays.

Getting there & parking

Bicycle racks on site. Mons station is 950 metres away.

Amenities & dining

• Café

Guinguette (open-air café) in the ‘Poirier Beurré’ garden, free to access, for a coffee or a drink.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events

The Mons Museum Hub rents rooms at several of its sites, with a rental brochure; hire can be combined with a visit to an exhibition.

Plan your visit