KOERS. Museum van de Wielersport

About the museum

KOERS is housed in the former fire brigade arsenal on the Polenplein in Roeselare. During the First World War the building served, among other things, as a storehouse for relief supplies, a shelter for wounded soldiers and refugees, and later as a German barracks.

In 1985 the Roeselare municipal council decided to set up a national cycling museum, because the region is one of the heartlands of Flemish cycling culture. The bicycle collection of the Stockmanshoeve in Sijsele formed the basis. On Open Monument Day the first Stedelijk Wielermuseum opened its doors for one day, and more than 600 visitors came. After a thorough renovation of the arsenal, the museum opened permanently in 1998 as the Nationaal Wielermuseum.

After a three-year refurbishment, the museum reopened on 9 September 2018 under the new name KOERS. Museum van de Wielersport. The collection rests on three pillars: more than 300 bicycles from almost two centuries, a cycle sport collection consisting mainly of jerseys and clothing, and a documentary collection with publications, newspapers, magazines, archives and photographs. Roeselare calls itself the capital of world champions, with Benoni Beheyt, Patrick Sercu, Jean-Pierre Monseré and Freddy Maertens as world champions from the city. The museum also functions as a knowledge and research centre on the history of cycle sport.

Highlights

• World Champions Hall with the bicycle in all its forms, from the laufmachine to the cyclo-cross bike
• Service Course as an open depot with forty racing bicycles of well-known riders
• Allez Jempi, a tribute to world champion Jean-Pierre Monseré
• Koppenmuur, a wall of street-art portraits of Belgian world champions in the museum garden
• KOERSkaffee with a terrace next to the museum

Permanent exhibitions

• Zaal der Wereldkampioenen – In the former civic party hall the bicycle takes centre stage, from the first laufmachine to a cyclo-cross bike belonging to Sven Nys.
• Allez Jempi – This room tells the life and career of Jean-Pierre Monseré, who became world champion in 1970 and was killed in a road accident a year later.
• Service Course – Open depot with some forty racing bicycles of well-known riders and a hands-on zone where you can handle bicycle frames.

Founded

1998

Operated by

Stad Roeselare

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Every first Sunday of the month during high season (March to September), during the three Roeselare cycling highlights (Dwars door Vlaanderen, GP Monseré and Natourcriterium), on Heritage Day and on Open Monument Day. Group visits with a guide do not receive free admission on these days.

Pupils in class groups pay €1 during the school year (outside school holidays); schools from Roeselare enter free. Admission is also free for residents of Roeselare on presentation of their identity card, Friends of KOERS, city guides of Roeselare, staff of the City of Roeselare and the OCMW, and cardholders of museumPASSmusées, ICOM and Experience Pass (also with press card).

Accessibility

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

Access to the reception is step-free and the reception counter can be approached by wheelchair. The museum has wide passageways, resting points with fold-down benches and accessible sanitary facilities; texts and screens are easy to reach and read. The KOERSkaffee is accessible to wheelchair users. Free parking spaces for people with a disability are located close to the museum. There is a sensory basket with, among other things, headphones, gloves and fidgets, and a visual step-by-step guide to help you prepare your visit. The text panels have good contrast and a sufficiently large font; spoken video fragments have Dutch subtitles. An accessibility tool with photos can be found on the website. Dogs are not admitted, except assistance dogs.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

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

In 2026 KOERS received the blue dot of the Museumpas: the museum has been approved by and for children. With the family pack (a musette with road book for €1, for children aged 6 to 12 and their family) you explore the museum. There is also a language-light family pack for children aged 4 to 12, free at the desk. In the Service Course hands-on zone you can hold bicycle frames in aluminium, carbon and steel. There is a changing table, a children's chair in the KOERSkaffee and a child-friendly offer in the museum shop. The play equipment in the museum garden is temporarily unavailable.

Getting there & parking

The museum lies on the cycle node network (Leie region, node 1). The museum garden has a large bicycle shelter with a pump and a few charging points for e-bikes; ask at reception.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Lockers

The KOERSkaffee next to the museum has a terrace and a child-friendly menu and is usually open Tuesday to Sunday in winter; its hours differ from those of the museum. The museum shop (KOERSshop) is located together with the tourist reception at the entrance. There are family lockers in various sizes, including for buggies and nappy bags.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit