Sportimonium

Belgium's only sports museum preserves the country's sporting heritage. The permanent exhibition in Hofstade is closed; the museum shows exhibitions at other locations.

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Limited operations. The permanent exhibition in the beach building has been closed since 2022. Sportimonium shows temporary exhibitions at changing locations; in Hofstade itself, the Sporthof has been available for groups since 1 September 2026. The depot rooms are not accessible, but anyone can see part of the collection through the Sportraam at the front of the building.

About the museum

Sportimonium traces its origins to the 1970s, when Roland Renson at KU Leuven began research into traditional folk sports. In 1980 the Vlaamse Volkssportcentrale followed, and in 1985 the vzw Sportmuseum Vlaanderen. After a long search for a location, the museum opened on 7 May 2004 in the wooden beach building from 1938 in the Hofstade recreational domain.

The museum worked with its own concept of integration into the sports field, decentralisation, education and animation, and presented a permanent exhibition, temporary exhibitions, folk sports and a sports lab. Since 2016 the collection has been housed in a specially designed depot, the Preservation Hall Victor Boin.

In 2022 the permanent exhibition closed for a thorough renewal. Since 2024 Sportimonium has been recognised by the Flemish government as a supra-local museum. It preserves more than 13,000 objects, tens of thousands of photographs and documents, and a library of 14,000 books and periodicals. In the long term it intends to open a new permanent exhibition location in a Flemish city centre; in the meantime it shows temporary exhibitions in changing locations. In Hofstade itself, the Sporthof has been available for groups since September 2026.

Highlights

Largest collection of sporting heritage in Belgium, with more than 13,000 objects
Sporthof with folk sports and outdoor games for groups (from 10 people)
Museum depot Preservation Hall Victor Boin, with a public Sportraam at the front
Temporary exhibitions at changing locations across Flanders
Online collection and virtual tour of the former permanent exhibition

Founded: 2004
Operated by: Sportimonium vzw

Admission & discounts

Groups (10+ people)	€20 per personSporthof: €20 per person from 10 people, for at least two hours of sport and play with 12 sports for all levels.

Accessibility

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Kids & families

Hands-on stations

The Sporthof offers folk sports and outdoor games to try out yourself, for groups of friends, family, companies or associations.

Getting there & parking

Sportimonium is located in the Hofstade-Plage recreational domain, Trianondreef 19, Hofstade (Zemst).

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Amenities & 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

School programs	yes
Good to know	For schools there is an educational package with lesson packs on sport and the Olympic Games, as well as touring exhibitions. The Sporthof is booked via info@sportimonium.be.