MAP - Mercator

About the museum

The origins of MAP (Musea Aan het Park, formerly Stedelijke Musea Sint-Niklaas) lie in 1861, with the founding of the Koninklijke Oudheidkundige Kring van het Land van Waas (Royal Antiquarian Circle of the Land of Waas). The society wanted to preserve, research and display the heritage of Sint-Niklaas and the Waasland. Through donations, collectors and the city council, the collection grew into a broad collection of archaeology, art and documents. Gerard Mercator also found a place there, as part of a wider story about the region.

In the 19th and 20th centuries, three museum locations emerged in the city centre: the Zamanstraat, with the collections of the Antiquarian Circle; the former factory site on the Zwijgershoek, with graphic art, archaeology, crafts and industrial heritage; and the townhouse De Salons, with the municipal art collection. In the 2020s, the museums were brought together under one umbrella, MAP, with four sites in and around the Mercatorpark.

MAP - Mercator is the only museum in Belgium devoted entirely to cartography. Alongside the original globes of Mercator and the Lafreri atlas, there are interactive installations, a large atlas and a 4D balloon ride. MAP - Curiosum is housed in the 19th-century Huis Janssens and plays with the idea of a cabinet of curiosities. MAP - Den Brei shows the industrial past of the knitting trade, with some forty working knitting machines. MAP - Paviljoen is the former museum building in the park and hosts temporary exhibitions, lectures and workshops.

Highlights

• Original globes by Gerard Mercator and the Lafreri atlas, in Belgium’s only cartography museum
• Immersive 4D balloon ride and one of the largest atlases in the world
• Curiosum in the 19th-century Huis Janssens, a museum like a house full of memories
• Den Brei: knitting museum with historic knitting machines that still work
• One ticket for all MAP sites and the StoreAges of Erfpunt

Permanent exhibitions

• MAP - Mercator: vaste opstelling over kaarten – Four zones invite visitors to ask what a map is, with the original globes of Mercator, the Lafreri atlas, an immersive 4D balloon ride and an application that shows your head in different map projections.
• MAP - Curiosum: een huis vol herinnering – A museum in Huis Janssens with strong scenography, where objects ranging from old musical instruments to contemporary art evoke memories of the house, the city and the Waasland.
• MAP - Den Brei: industrieel breimuseum – A knitting museum with historic knitting machines that still work, and stories about the knitting industry that helped shape Sint-Niklaas.

Operated by

Stad Sint-Niklaas

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Free for residents of Sint-Niklaas until 31 December 2026.

One ticket gives access to all MAP sites and the StoreAges of Erfpunt; within half a year of purchase, you can return for free. Tickets are preferably bought online, including by those who have free admission. Free admission also applies to holders of a Museumpas or an ICOM card and to members of Vrienden van MAP. Different rates may apply, for example for temporary exhibitions. The museum is closed on 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 January.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• 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

The main building (Mercator and Den Brei) is fully accessible to less mobile visitors: there are gentle level changes, wide passageways, floor-level display cases, adapted toilets and a lift to the first floor. A wheelchair and a walking stick can be borrowed free of charge. Curiosum is a historic building without a lift: the ground floor is reachable via a ramp in the Zamanstraat, the first floor via the adjoining building with help from museum staff, and the top floor cannot be visited with an electric wheelchair. Assistance dogs are welcome. Wheelchair users visiting Curiosum are best advised to register in advance. There are separate tours for people with dementia and their carers.

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

All sites have interactive elements, treasure hunts and activities for young visitors, such as two children’s quests in Mercator (ages 4 to 8 and 9 to 12), a bingo quest in Curiosum (ages 3 to 8) and Wolly & Friends in Den Brei (ages 6 to 10). During the school holidays there are workshops and Museum Explorers. Pushchairs are welcome; the main site has a changing table, and a microwave oven can be used.

Getting there & parking

The site is within walking distance of the Grote Markt and the station. There are bicycle parking facilities on the Zwijgershoek and in the Mercatorpark.

Amenities & dining

• Café: not available
• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop
• Lockers

MAP has no museum café of its own; nearby are Crèmerie François and Barfly, among others. Free lockers are available at reception; large backpacks and bags may not be taken into the galleries. The small shop at the main site sells publications, maps and gifts.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events

Companies can book a team-building session at MAP - Mercator (up to 20 people, weekdays only, 10:00–17:00) and reserve a meeting room alongside it; evening events for groups are also possible.

Plan your visit