Museum Dr. Guislain
Museum in a nineteenth-century psychiatric hospice in Ghent, covering the history of psychiatry, outsider art and contemporary art.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Museum Dr. Guislain is housed in the former Hospice pour hommes aliénés, the first true psychiatric hospital in Belgium, which came into use in 1857. The complex was designed by Professor Joseph Guislain (1797-1860), one of the pioneers of modern psychiatry, together with city architect Adolphe Pauli. Guislain regarded madness as an illness that could be treated, and he wanted the architecture to reflect the moral-therapeutic approach to care. The eclectic complex, with Neo-Romanesque, Neo-Gothic and Neo-Renaissance elements, was recognised as a monument by the Flemish Community in 1999.
The museum opened in 1986 in the old hospital on the grounds of the psychiatric centre. The medical collection grew out of a small core of old objects that had been kept in the hospital. The largest part was acquired by the museum itself, through purchases, donations and bequests. It refers both to the period before psychiatry and to biologically oriented psychiatry, and it also includes a large photo collection.
The second part of the collection consists of art, with an emphasis on outsider art and on art linked to mental health care. It includes works by, among others, Willem van Genk, Tim Brown and Gerard van Lankveld. Everything the museum does centres on mental well-being; it aims to break down stigma and stimulate dialogue. The permanent display Op losse schroeven has been closed since February 2026, and the museum is currently showing temporary exhibitions.
Highlights
- The nineteenth-century Hospice Guislain, recognised as a monument
- Collection on the history of psychiatry, including a large photo collection
- Outsider art and art linked to mental health
- Inner courtyard and museum café Het Badhuis in the hospital's former bathhouse
- Guided tour of the Guislain site beyond the museum walls
- Founded
- 1986
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €14 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €12Students aged 26 and over, people aged 65 and over, groups, holders of a teacher card (Klasse) and Fed+ |
| Children & teens | €1free up to age 12 · Children up to and including 12 years free; young people aged 13 to 18 pay €1. |
| Seniors | €12From 65 years. |
| Visitors with disabilities | –Holders of the European Disability Card enter free. |
| Students & apprentices | €12Students aged 26 and over; young people under 26 pay €3. |
| Groups | €12 per personAdult groups; a guide costs €75 per group (also for a guide in another language). Book tours at least two weeks in advance, maximum 20 people per guide. |
| Families | –Members of the Gezinsbond receive €2.50 in savings points at the standard rate. |
| Young people under 26 | €3 |
| UiTPAS with social rate | €2.80 |
One ticket gives access to all exhibitions. Tickets can be bought at the desk; no reservation is needed. Free admission for, among others, museum friends, museumPASS, ICOM card and CityCard Ghent holders. The inner courtyard and the museum café can be visited without a museum ticket. Via Iedereen Verdient Vakantie, people with a limited budget or a disability can book a visit.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- 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
There is a large free car park at the main entrance, with wheelchair-accessible parking spaces. For adults with mental challenges there is the free Mini-Guislain toolkit, which you request at least seven working days in advance via info@museumdrguislain.be; it prepares a visit with activity tasks, a mini museum and visual material.
Kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 12 |
|---|
Children up to and including 12 years enter free. The inner courtyard is a place where children feel welcome and can eat and drink; you do not need a ticket for that. The museum organises activities for children from time to time, for example during Kunstendag.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Guislainbrug · 6-min walk
From Ghent-Sint-Pieters station, take bus 9a (towards Wondelgem) to the Guislainbrug stop, or bus 60 (towards Zomergem Kerk) to the Nieuwevaartbrug stop; both stops are about a 6-minute walk away. You can also take tram T4 to the Rabot stop and change to tram T2 to the Guislainstraat stop. From Ghent-Dampoort station, take bus 10 to the Rooigem stop (14 minutes on foot) or bus 11 to the Korenmarkt stop and then tram T2 to the Guislainstraat stop.
By car
Free parking
There is a large free car park at the main entrance; the barriers open automatically, and after your visit you get a code at reception to leave the car park. School buses have a separate parking area, reached via the entrance of PZ Guislain on the Francisco Ferrerlaan.
- Accessible parking
There is a bicycle park at the main entrance of the site.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
Café Het Badhuis in the hospital's former bathhouse is open from Tuesday to Friday, 10:00–17:00, and on Saturday and Sunday, 13:00–18:00 (closed on Mondays). The snacks are prepared from Wednesday to Friday by young people from Pardon Servies, except in August and on public holidays. There are picnic tables in the inner courtyard.
Events & venue rental
- Spaces for rent
- Corporate events
The museum rents spaces for lectures, PhD defences, book and theatre performances, staff parties and team outings, also with a guided tour, lunch, reception or evening opening.
Inquiries & detailsPlan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | A guided visit lasts 1 to 1.5 hours; book at least two weeks in advance. There is also a tour of the Guislain site of about one hour. Free cancellation is possible up to 10 days in advance. |
