STAM - Stadsmuseum Gent

About the museum

The STAM collection dates back to the early nineteenth century. In 1833 the Commissie voor Monumenten en Stadsgezichten van Gent founded the antiquarian museum “Musée historique belge”, in line with the romantic-patriotic interest of the time in local and national history. The first items were donations from members of the commission. In 1848 the city council gave important objects from the municipal heritage to the museum, and from 1884 it became a municipal institution with a first curator.

The collection grew through purchases, donations and bequests and contains many items on Ghent's crafts and everyday life, as well as a rich collection of weapons and objects related to freemasonry and Chinese art. It moved several times: from the Jesuit monastery to the town hall (1838), to Baudelo Abbey (1874) and to the church of the Barefoot Carmelites (1884), until in 1928 it found a home in the buildings of the Bijloke Abbey.

The Bijloke Museum closed on 11 September 2005. On 9 October 2010 STAM - Stadsmuseum Gent opened on the same Bijloke site, a former hospital where healthcare had been central for seven centuries. The permanent exhibition “Het verhaal van Gent” puts the city itself at the centre, with a large aerial photograph, multimedia tables and objects from the collection. Other cultural organisations are now also based on the Bijloke site.

Highlights

• Permanent exhibition “Het verhaal van Gent” in the buildings of the Bijloke Abbey
• A huge aerial photograph of Ghent to explore
• Digital multimedia tables and iPads with extra information
• LEGO studio and open family studio “Wat als...”
• Children's trail and the listening game “Santé m'n Ratje”

Permanent exhibition

• Het verhaal van Gent – The permanent exhibition tells the history of Ghent and of the people who make the city, with a large aerial photograph, multimedia tables and objects from the collection.

Founded

2010

Operated by

Stad Gent

Director

Christine De Weerdt

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Residents of Ghent: on the first Sunday of the month, on Late Donderdag (from 17:30) and during the Gentse Feesten.

Free admission with, among others, ICOM, a press card, the Toerisme Vlaanderen guide card, Museumpas and CityCard Gent, and for supervisors of school groups. For certain activities STAM makes tickets available via Enchanté; at the desk you can give someone a museum ticket to use later.

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

STAM is accessible to wheelchair users. Many objects and digital applications are at a comfortable height, and the object labels can be read on iPads, where letters and images can be enlarged. There are three wooden tactile models and tactile building materials in the LEGO room. There is a lot of audio, but not yet for every object or theme. Assistance dogs are welcome. A reserved parking space is located on the Godshuizenlaan, with a ramp leading to the entrance on the corner with the Bijlokekaai.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly
• Baby changing facilities
• Playground / play area

STAM received recognition from museumPASSmusées as a museum approved by and for children. In “Het verhaal van Gent” children can find a large aerial photograph, multimedia tables, a LEGO studio, the open family studio “Wat als...”, a children's trail, the listening game “Santé m'n Ratje” (ages 4 to 9) and a sport-and-game bingo. There is a quiet seating corner for breast- or bottle-feeding and a changing table in the toilets. In the Bijloke gardens around the museum you can walk and play; kubb sets can be borrowed at the desk.

Getting there & parking

STAM is located on Ghent's small ring road (R40). Until the end of 2026 there are roadworks in the vicinity of the Bijloke site, so you may experience some disruption. Ghent has a low-emission zone. Covered bicycle parking is available at the corner of the Bijlokekaai and the Godshuizenlaan.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

STAMcafé by Coeur Catering has a terrace overlooking the Bijloke site and serves breakfast, brunch, lunch, aperitifs, coffee and cake. It is open Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 17:00 (closed on Wednesdays) and at weekends from 9:30 to 18:00. On public holidays and during school holidays (except Wednesdays) it is open from 10:00 to 18:00.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events

Up to 200 guests.

Four spaces can be rented: Baudelo (85 m², up to 60 people), the abbey refectory (305 m², up to 200 people in theatre seating), the entrance hall and the abbey church (each 320 m², reception for up to 200 people). Catering is handled by Coeur Catering; evening events are possible every day in consultation with the museum. Together with Muziekcentrum De Bijloke, STAM holds the Flanders Heritage Venue label.

Plan your visit