Musée Art & Histoire

About the museum

The Art & History Museum is part of the Royal Museums of Art and History (MRAH), a federal scientific institution founded by royal decree in 1835. It occupies part of the monumental buildings in the Cinquantenaire park, laid out from 1879 under Leopold II for the 1880 National Exhibition and designed by architect Gédéon Bordiau. The collections, first housed at the Porte de Hal, were transferred in 1905 to the south wing of the Bordiau halls, under the name Pavilion of Antiquity.

A fire destroyed an entire section of the museum in 1946; reconstruction took about twenty years, respecting the original volume, colour and materials. The museum took its current name in 2018; it was previously called the Cinquantenaire Museum.

The collections cover four main areas: Antiquity (Near East, Egypt, Greece, Rome), non-European civilisations (the Americas, Asia, Oceania, the Islamic world), national archaeology and European decorative arts, from medieval tapestries and altarpieces to lace, glass and ceramics. New galleries opened recently: the Americas galleries in October 2024 and the decorative arts of the 19th century, Art Nouveau and Art Deco in June 2025. The Antiquity wing, by contrast, is closed for renovation, with no reopening date.

Highlights

• Lady of Brussels and a rich Egyptian collection
• Model of Rome and the mosaic of the Apamea hunt
• Medieval tapestries and altarpieces from Brussels
• Renovated Americas galleries with Aztec and Maya figurines
• Belgian Art Nouveau and Art Deco galleries
• Asian collections: Buddhist sculptures, China, Japan, India

Permanent exhibitions

• Salles Amérique – Route through nine renovated galleries presenting works from pre-Columbian cultures, including Aztec and Maya figurines.
• Arts décoratifs du XIXe siècle, Art nouveau et Art déco – Two galleries devoted to furniture and everyday objects fashionable in the 19th century, as well as the Belgian Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles.
• Les Incontournables – A selection of the museum’s masterpieces, such as the Lady of Brussels, the model of Rome, the head reliquary of Pope Alexander I or a cantharus painted by Douris.

Operated by

Musées royaux d'Art et d'Histoire (établissement scientifique fédéral)

Admission & discounts

Free admission: The first Wednesday of each month from 13:00, for the permanent collections only.

Tickets are bought at the ticket desk or online by time slot. The €8 rate also applies to FED+ card holders. Free entry with the Brussels Card, museumPASSmusées, Art Nouveau Pass and ICOM card, and for Friends of the MRAH, as well as for Belgian teachers, journalists and BELSPO staff. Discounts and passes do not apply to guided tours. Cash payments are not always possible at the ticket desk.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking
• 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

Wheelchair users and parents with pushchairs use the entrance to the right of the grand staircase (ring the bell); wheelchairs are lent, but some galleries are not accessible by wheelchair or pushchair. Vehicles for people with reduced mobility park in the permitted zone (access via Avenue des Nerviens). The museum is Access-i certified; contact: reservations@mrah.be, +32 2 741 73 02.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Kids’ birthday parties

Children’s routes (for example “Bingo! À la découverte des animaux d'Amérique”, “Retour au 19e siècle!” and “Crime au Musée”) are offered. Museum birthday party: €200 for 15 children and 2 accompanying adults, duration 120 minutes, to be booked online at least three weeks in advance. A picnic area is available.

Getting there & parking

Visitor coaches can park in an area beyond the arcade, by prior reservation (intercom no. 5). Brussels is a low-emission zone (LEZ).

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop
• Lockers

Free lockers (token from the reception desk); large bags, backpacks and umbrellas must be deposited there. The Museumshop is accessible without a ticket. The Gédéon Coffee Shop is temporarily closed.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

Up to 600 guests.

Private evening openings, receptions, conferences, dinners and symposia in a historic setting. The Great Narthex hosts up to 600 people for a reception (450 for a dinner); other spaces include the cloister (120 people), the auditorium, the small narthex and the Council Room. The Apamea room is temporarily closed.

Plan your visit