Museum van Deinze en de Leiestreek

About the museum

In 1928 the Kunst- en Oudheidkundige Kring (Art and Antiquarian Circle) was founded in Deinze; alongside antiquarian objects it also collected works of art. The town itself bought and received a considerable number of works in those years. A decisive donation came in 1942: the painting Bietenoogst by Emile Claus, given by his widow. On 7 March 1942 the Stedelijk Museum (Municipal Museum) was founded, the first regional museum of its kind in the country. It showed the municipal collection and that of the Circle in a neo-Gothic building by the church.

The collection grew so quickly that a new building was needed. Plans took definitive shape in 1977, and on 28 November 1981 the new museum opened along the Leie, close to the town centre. It was the first building in Belgium built specifically as a museum after the Second World War. The house still has two departments: visual arts and folk culture, now called heritage.

The collection deliberately limits itself to work by artists who lived or worked in the Leie region, with the Latem painters at its core. This makes it a regional museum with an appeal well beyond the region. Alongside the permanent collection, the museum shows changing exhibitions under the name mudel, including the Biennial of Painting, which it organises together with Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens and the Roger Raveel Museum.

Highlights

• Work by the Latem painters, including Emile Claus, Gustave De Smet and Valerius De Saedeleer
• Contemporary art from the Leie region, including work by Roger Raveel and Raoul De Keyser
• Heritage section with Deinze toy manufacturers, pre-war prams and the textile industry
• Free family trail for children aged 6 to 12
• The whole museum is accessible to wheelchair users

Permanent exhibitions

• Plastische kunsten – Permanent collection with work by the Latem painters and other artists from the Leie region, including Emile Claus, Gustave De Smet, Valerius De Saedeleer and Roger Raveel.
• Erfgoed – A section on the region’s industrial past and associational life, with Deinze toy manufacturers, pre-war prams and the textile industry.

Founded

1942

Operated by

Stad Deinze

Director

Wim Lammertijn

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Sunday morning free for residents of Greater Deinze.

The rates listed are the combination ticket for the 10th Biennial of Painting (28 June to 18 October 2026), which is also valid at Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens and the Roger Raveel Museum. Free admission for, among others, ICOM and VMV members, journalists with a press card, lenders, accompanying adults of school groups, schools from Deinze and holders of a museum pass (the exclusive edition of the museum pass is on sale at the counter, €59).

Accessibility

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

The entire museum is accessible to wheelchair users. Two push wheelchairs are available, which you can reserve in advance via museum@deinze.be; they can only be used with a companion. Two wheelchair-friendly parking spaces are close to the building. For blind and visually impaired visitors, tailored tours are possible for small groups of 5 to 8 people, with tactile objects; guide dogs are welcome and seats are available in the museum. For people with (early-onset) dementia there are tours with reminiscence questions and soft music, and for people with autism a step-by-step plan is available.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide

The free family trail at the counter is for families with children aged 6 to 12 and contains questions and tasks about the paintings and objects in the permanent collection. Children under 12 enter free.

Getting there & parking

By car, take the E17 (Ghent–Kortrijk), exit 7 (Deinze). Deinze lies along walking and cycling routes such as the Leie Region Route and the Eleven Villages Route; bikes can be hired at the stations in Deinze, De Pinte and Ghent-Sint-Pieters.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

The museum shop sells, among other things, catalogues and exclusive publications.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit