Museum Cultuurforum Aardenburg

About the museum

Aardenburg is one of the oldest settlements in Zeeland. Around AD 170 the Romans built a fort here as part of the coastal defences; alongside it grew a civilian settlement, probably called Rodanum. Around 300 the Romans abandoned the site after Germanic raids and flooding had made the situation untenable. In the Middle Ages Aardenburg was an important Hanseatic town.

Since the 1950s, Roman finds have repeatedly come to light in the town centre. The Gemeentelijk Archeologisch Museum was set up for them and was housed for a long time on the Marktstraat. In 2016 the institution lost a major European grant and had to abandon the planned move into the old town hall; instead, a building next to the Sint-Baafskerk was extensively converted. Because of a construction delay of about a year and a half, the museum did not reopen until 2023, now under the name Museum Cultuurforum Aardenburg.

The permanent exhibition is devoted to everyday life in the Roman imperial period: around 500 coins, mainly from the 2nd and 3rd centuries, are on display, along with jewellery, pottery such as terra sigillata, bronze figurines and horse harness. Interactive stations on clothing, food storage, Latin lessons for children, the houses of the wealthy and bathing culture bring life in the fort town to life. In the garden, the foundations of a Gallo-Roman temple recall antiquity.

Highlights

• Roman finds from the Aardenburg fort: coins, terra sigillata, bronzes, jewellery
• Interactive stations on Roman daily life, clothing, food and bathing culture
• VR presentation on the Sint-Baafskerk
• Children's workshops: amulet, belt and pottery in the Roman style
• Roman lunch based on ancient recipes for groups

Permanent exhibitions

• Römisches Aardenburg – Finds from the Roman fort and its associated settlement, including coins, jewellery, pottery and bronze figurines, with interactive stations on daily life and bathing culture.
• VR-Präsentation Sint-Baafskerk – A virtual reconstruction brings the history of Aardenburg's Sint-Baafskerk to life.

Admission & discounts

Free with the Museumkaart and for ICOM members. By purchasing a ticket, visitors accept the museum's conditions of visit. Tickets are also available online.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• 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 wheelchair entrance is at Sint Bavostraat 3. Wheelchairs can be borrowed at the ticket desk; there are folding stools in the building for resting. No animals are allowed except assistance dogs.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Baby changing facilities
• Kids’ birthday parties

Workshops in which children make a clay amulet (bulla), a woollen belt (cingula) or Roman pottery; individual visitors can pick up a treasure hunt at the ticket desk. Roman children's birthday parties are possible on request.

Getting there & parking

The museum is next to the Sint-Baafskerk in the centre of Aardenburg.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

Small museum shop with Roman objects, regional products, books and gift packages.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit