Mijnmuseum Beringen

About the museum

The Mijnmuseum is located on the former Beringen mine site in Koersel, which is being given a new purpose under the name be-MINE. The mine site has 100,000 m² of buildings and is considered the largest industrial heritage site in Flanders; the mine buildings date from 1907 to 1922. The museum came into being in the mid-1980s on the initiative of Gilbert Goddeeris, the former director of the Beringen coal mine.

In 2012 the museum received a new presentation, including a multi-touch table and witness accounts with sound. The rooms cover themes from mining history: the formation of coal; pioneering on the Kempen heath after the discovery of the coal seams; the arrival of workers from Central and Eastern Europe and from the Mediterranean countries; the role of the above-ground mine buildings, shown on a large model; life in the cité (miners' housing estate); personal stories of miners; and the unrest surrounding the closure of the mines between 1966 and 1992. On the basement level a pillar and a gallery have been reconstructed.

Tours are led by guides who often worked in the mine themselves. Since summer 2024 the historic buildings on the site have been restored in the context of the arrival of Mine-set, the Limburg mining experience at be-MINE. The group programmes are therefore being renewed.

Highlights

• Reconstructed mine pillar and gallery in the basement (underground simulation with guide)
• Guides who were themselves former miners
• Witness accounts from miners and a model of the mine buildings
• Free audio tour with the stories of former miner Roberto Pasquali
• Monthly Mijnzondagen (Mine Sundays) in the historic mine buildings

Permanent exhibitions

• Mijnmuseum – The rooms tell of the formation of coal, the arrival of the miners, the work underground, life in the cité and the closure of the mines, with witness accounts and a model of the mine buildings.
• Ondergrondsimulatie – Accompanied by a guide, often a former miner, you discover a reconstructed mine pillar and gallery on the basement level.

Operated by

Mijnmuseum vzw

Admission & discounts

With a UiTPAS Beringen you receive a one-time €2 discount on the entrance ticket; residents of Beringen with the UiTPAS reduced rate get 80% off an individual visit. Teachers with a teacher's card enter free. There is no partnership with the Museumpas.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: no information
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• 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

For groups with limited mobility there is the programme “Op koffie met de mijnwerker” (Coffee with the miner) in a wheelchair-accessible room on the ground floor.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide

Families follow a family route with assignments and can ask for the free booklet Mijn Verhaal (for children aged 6 to 10) at the Visit Beringen ticket desk. Those who complete the assignments well receive a surprise. The underground simulation with guide lasts about 45 minutes.

Getting there & parking

Some GPS systems show an incorrect house number.

Amenities & dining

• Café

The museum has a bicycle café with a terrace.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit