Museum Hof van Busleyden

About the museum

Museum Hof van Busleyden is housed in a town palace bought in 1496 by Frans van Busleyden, at a time when Mechelen was the vibrant centre of the Burgundian realm. His brother Hieronymus van Busleyden became sole owner in 1506 and extended the house into a palace where he received guests such as Erasmus and Thomas More. The hypocaust from that period has survived: a heated room with wall paintings based on mythological tales.

After Hieronymus died in 1517, the building changed hands several times. In 1620 Wenceslas Cobergher opened a “Berg van Barmhartigheid” (mount of piety), a pawnshop that existed until 1828 and beyond. In the 19th century a nursery school and a music academy moved in, and a sweeping romantic renovation in 1879 gave the palace its stepped gables and tulip-shaped turret. In 1914 a fire destroyed most of the building, which was then rebuilt to its 19th-century appearance.

On 31 July 1938 the Mechelen city museum officially opened its doors here, and since then the palace has been a protected monument. From 2010 the building was thoroughly renovated by architects David Driesen and Hans Le Compte, with a new exhibition hall for temporary exhibitions beneath the large inner courtyard. It reopened in 2018 as Museum Hof van Busleyden. After restorations of the roof, windows and gardens, and the conversion of the 18th-century corner house ’t Schipke into a coffee bar, the museum reopened in 2024 with a renewed permanent exhibition on the Burgundian-Habsburg period.

The permanent exhibition “Thuis in Bourgondisch Mechelen” shows, among other things, the Besloten Hofjes, the Mechelen Choirbook and the portrait of Margaret of Austria.

Highlights

• Permanent exhibition “Thuis in Bourgondisch Mechelen” on Mechelen in the 15th and 16th centuries
• Besloten Hofjes, the world's largest collection of folding altarpieces
• Mechelen Choirbook, a 16th-century music manuscript
• Portrait of Margaret of Austria
• Hypocaust with wall paintings and free museum gardens with terrace

Permanent exhibition

• Thuis in Bourgondisch Mechelen – The permanent exhibition presents Mechelen around 1507 through art objects such as the Besloten Hofjes and the Mechelen Choirbook, and raises critical questions about power and authority.

Founded

1938

Operated by

Stad Mechelen

Admission & discounts

The ticket gives access to the permanent exhibition and the current temporary exhibition; the audio guide is included. Free with the museum pass (a free ticket and time slot must be reserved), the Experience Pass, the Klasse teacher card, Carte Prof, ICOM, Friends of the museum, and for accredited journalists. Tickets cannot be exchanged or refunded; booking a time slot online is strongly recommended.

Accessibility

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

The museum is fully accessible to wheelchairs and electric wheelchairs, via a paved path on Sint-Janstraat (pedestrian and wheelchair entrance: Sint-Janstraat 2A), and all floors can be reached by lift. Two wheelchairs are available at reception (please notify in advance), and folding chairs can be borrowed free of charge. Noise-reducing headphones are available, and on the first Saturday of every month there is a Quiet Visit (10:00–13:00) for visitors sensitive to stimuli. A visual step-by-step guide can be downloaded. Dogs are not admitted, except assistance and guide dogs. The coffee bar is reachable through the museum; the street entrance has a small step.

Kids & families

Great for kids & familiesRecommended for ages 6+

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

Recommended for children aged 6 and over. The “Golden Cube” family trail and the activity booklets at the entrance let children search for clues and solve tasks. There is also a family trail in the garden, a radio play, and workshops during the school holidays. Baby changing tables are in the toilets on level -1, breastfeeding is allowed everywhere, and pushchairs can be left at reception. The museum garden is good for playing and picnicking.

Getting there & parking

GPS address: Frederik de Merodestraat 65. Mechelen has a traffic circulation plan; Sint-Janstraat is a low-traffic street and may not be entered between 11:00 and 18:00. Coaches drop passengers off at Veemarkt. Bicycles can be parked on Sint-Janstraat.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Lockers
• Wi-Fi

Coffee bar ’t Schipke with a terrace in the museum garden, open Wednesday to Sunday 10:00–17:00 and freely accessible without a ticket. Museum shop with books, postcards and gifts, also open without a ticket. Lockers on level -1 work with a coin from the reception. Free Wi-Fi network: HvB-Bezoekers.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

A private room for meetings can be booked in the coffee bar, and groups can order buffet menus there. Information: info@hvbmuseum-shop-koffiebar.be or 015 67 70 27.

Plan your visit