Musée des Plantes médicinales et de la Pharmacie
ULB museum on the therapeutic use of plants: 18 themes in some sixty display cases, free self-guided visits on weekdays.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The School of Pharmacy of the Université libre de Bruxelles was founded in 1842, eight years after the university itself. From the start, students learned to recognise plant-based drugs and to check their quality. The museum has existed since 1900, when the school occupied premises on the corner of rue des Finances and rue des Douze Apôtres.
The school moved to the Solbosch campus in 1924 and then, in 1973, to the Plaine campus, where the museum found its place in a set of glass cabinets. Marcel Hans was its curator, followed by Maurice Vanhaelen and Renée Fastre-Vanhaelen, who renovated and enriched the collection to make it a teaching tool and a showcase for the public.
The collection brings together a cabinet of plant drugs begun in the second half of the 19th century, silk models of medicinal plants, old and current pharmaceutical products, and apparatus for extracting, analysing and preparing medicines. Eighteen themes, spread across some sixty display cases, trace the history of plants used as medicines, from mythical plants to arrow poisons. Two interactive terminals complete the visit.
Highlights
- Eighteen themes in some sixty display cases
- From willow to aspirin
- Arrow poisons and hallucinogenic plants
- 19th-century drug cabinet
- Two interactive terminals on plants and mushrooms
- Founded
- 1900
- Operated by
- Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB)
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
| Guided tour of about 2 hours, 1 to 6 people (per group) | €2020% discount for students |
|---|---|
| Guided tour of about 2 hours, 7 to 15 people (per group) | €4020% discount for students |
Individual visits are free; only guided tours are paid.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
- Hands-on stations
A route and specific themes are planned for young visitors; two interactive terminals offer programmes on medicinal plants, poisonous plants and mushroom identification.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Delta
Buses 34, 71 and 72, metro line 5 (Delta station) or Etterbeek station.
By car
Parking available
Parking on boulevard de la Plaine; for groups, a space can be reserved at access 2.
Entrance via access 2 of the Plaine campus, boulevard du Triomphe; a Villo! bike station is located at access 2, boulevard de la Plaine.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes · approx. 2 hrs |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Self-guided visits, reading the texts in the display cases; a guided tour must be requested in writing. The museum is in building BC, on level 2 (Magenta district) of the Plaine campus. |
