Huis van Alijn

About the museum

Huis van Alijn is housed in the Kindren Halyns Hospital, the only surviving medieval almshouse in Ghent. It originated in the fourteenth century after a long-running feud between the patrician families Rijm and Alijn. By 1513 the complex had fallen into serious disrepair; in the sixteenth century it was restored and given a late-Gothic chapel. After it was sold in 1883 it became lodgings for working-class families, and the chapel was given a different function. In 1941 the city bought the building, in 1943 it was placed under protection, and it was then restored by architect Valentin Vaerwijck.

The museum collection goes back to the Koninklijke Bond der Oost-Vlaamse Volkskundigen, which had been collecting folklore objects since 1926. In 1932 the Folkloremuseum opened in the Caermersklooster church on Lange Steenstraat, with reconstructions of vanished crafts and interiors. On 9 September 1962 the Museum voor Volkskunde opened in the restored almshouse on Kraanlei.

In 2000 the name Huis van Alijn was adopted, a reference to the building's history. The museum broadened its scope from Ghent to the whole of Flanders and to the entire twentieth century, and it also holds digital and audiovisual collections. Since 2017 the main exhibition has told a new, participatory and multisensory story about everyday life, organised around the calendar year and the main phases of life. The museum takes into account visitors with, among other things, a visual or hearing impairment, autism or dementia. In addition there is the puppet theatre Pierke van Alijn and an outreach lab that researches how heritage can strengthen well-being.

Highlights

• Main exhibition on everyday life, with objects, photos, sounds and videos
• The only surviving medieval almshouse in Ghent
• Puppet theatre Pierke van Alijn on Saturdays, from October to May
• Museum café with an inner garden
• Family quests with the museum ghosts Hendrik and Poes

Permanent exhibition

• Museum van het dagelijks leven – The permanent main exhibition uses the calendar year to present life stages, traditions and rituals, with objects, photos, sounds and videos from the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

Founded

1932

Operated by

Stad Gent

Director

Ann Van Nieuwenhuyse

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Residents of Ghent (postcodes 9000 to 9052): on Late Donderdag (17:30–22:00), on the first Sunday of the month and during the Gentse Feesten.

The ticket gives access to the main exhibition and the current temporary exhibition. Free admission with, among others, Vrienden van Alijn, CityCard Gent, museumPASSmusées, the Toerisme Vlaanderen guide card, ICOM, members of the Vlaamse Museumvereniging, and press card by appointment. A guided tour costs €100 per group on top of admission (basic and secondary education €90, reduced rate €60); with your own guide you pay a €15 speaking fee. Payment is possible by cash, Bancontact, Visa, Mastercard, Maestro and Payconiq.

Accessibility

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

The museum is not fully accessible for wheelchair users; visitor assistants and heritage guards help where needed. A portable museum stool can be borrowed at the desk. For visitors sensitive to stimuli there is a stimulus basket and a visual step-by-step plan. The museum offers a programme in Flemish Sign Language and takes into account visitors with a visual or hearing impairment, autism or dementia. Assistance dogs with a recognisable vest are welcome; other pets are not. A visit tailored to your needs can be requested via the accessibility officer.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Baby changing facilities
• Kids’ birthday parties

In 2026 the museum received recognition as a museum approved by and for children. Families can find quests with the museum ghosts Hendrik and Poes (toddler quest from 2.5 years, family quest for ages 5 to 12, sound game for ages 4 to 10, Grote Generatiestrijd for ages 10 to 14), activity assignments, a craft and reading corner and, on Saturdays from October to May, puppet theatre with Pierke van Alijn. A birthday party can be combined with the Feestelijke museumtocht (festive museum tour). The museum is an official BabySpot, with a place to change a baby or breastfeed.

Getting there & parking

The museum lies in the car-free zone and the low-emission zone of the city centre; approach via Lange Steenstraat and Geldmunt. People with reduced mobility can apply in advance for a permit to drive up to the entrance. Bicycle racks are available in the street. At weekends from 1 April to 1 November the hop-on hop-off water tram stops at Gravensteen, right by the entrance.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Coat check
• Lockers
• Wi-Fi

The museum café and the inner garden are run by volunteers of Vrienden van Alijn. The museum offers free Wi-Fi. The cloakroom and lockers are free; backpacks, large bags and umbrellas may not be taken into the galleries. Eating and drinking is only allowed in the museum café and the inner garden. The museum shop by the desk is accessible without a ticket.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

Up to 99 guests.

The museum rents out the former chapel and the Katharinazaal (72 m², up to 99 people, with stained glass, a vaulted ceiling and a rood screen), either on its own or combined with a museum visit, for events, meetings, team-building days, family celebrations and lectures, among other things.

Plan your visit