Belgium · MUSEUMS IN BRUSSELS
Good museums in Brussels fill up weeks ahead and the great ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Visit Brussels’ Atomium, the giant iron-crystal sculpture built for the 1958 World’s Fair, with access to its exhibitions and panoramic upper sphere. Your ticket also covers the nearby Design Museum Brussels, including its Plastics Design Collection. Bring a charged smartphone and headphones for the included game.
“Lunch and views from the restaurant were amazing! Overall great experience.”
At Choco-Story Brussels on Rue de l’étuve, you follow a self-guided audio visit through cocoa’s history, see a chocolatier make pralines, and taste chocolates along the way. The device is available in eight listed languages, and demonstrators such as Gregory and Luisa have helped make the live presentation lively. Allow about 1 to 2 hours.
“Thoroughly enjoyed this experience. As you walk in you get a small chocolate sample and you walk around using a hand held audio guide. You learn all about the history of chocolate and have chocolate samples too. The best part was watching a chocolate making demonstration and we got to try this chocolate too!”
At Choco-Story Brussels, a chocolatier such as Mario or Louise shows you how to pipe chocolate, shape bars and decorate lollies with toppings. After about 50 minutes of hands-on work, use the multilingual audio guide to explore 5,000 years of cocoa and chocolate, with tastings and a praline demonstration.
“We really enjoyed the chocolate making class, we got to make several bars and lollies. The lady taking the class was also lovely. The museum afterwards is fun and interactive with plenty of chocolate samples!”
Spend about an hour, or longer at your own pace, with more than 130 Banksy works and full-size murals in a former fabric house near Place De Brouckère and Sainte-Catherine. The self-guided exhibition uses short notes, French, English, and Dutch support, and includes a shop. Photos and videos are allowed.
“Absolutely loved the museum. There was so much art and information- really chilled experience at the museum. Highly recommend”
Visit Train World in Brussels independently with a one-day admission ticket. Set in historic Schaerbeek station, the museum presents steam engines, carriages, railway cottages, scale models, interactive displays, and the Pays de Waes locomotive. Your ticket includes the downloadable app and temporary exhibitions. Guided visits cost €110 for up to 20 people.
“A journey through time. We spent 3 hours there and we didn’t feel how the time passed by. What we enjoyed most was that you can interact with objects, the audio guide was nice and insightful, and everything looks very well taken care of. Suitable both for children, and adults. You don’t want to miss it.”
At Choco-Story Brussels, you follow cocoa from its origins to Belgian pralines with an audio guide, interactive displays, chocolate samples, and a live chocolatier demonstration. Plan on 45 to 90 minutes. The museum is near Grand Place, offered in English, and works well for families and rainy-day sightseeing.
“The audio guide is a great way to learn more in the museum, however mine only worked OK the fact placards and didn't work on any of the activity centers. You get 2 chocolate tastes- dark or milk chocolate barrels. If you attend a chocolate demonstration you will get a third tasting. I walked slow and whole museum took 45 minutes. If you have spare time to go, it had interesting points, but otherwise your time is better spent exploring Brussels”
Visit Train World in Brussels for about two hours of railway history, from five steam locomotives and royal carriages to railway cottages and interactive displays. Your timed admission includes access to the museum and a free audio guide. Reach it easily by train, tram, bus, or bike, and allow extra time for the simulator and café.
“My Mom and I went and checked this museum out. The audio guide was 2 euros and was worth the price. It gave lots of interesting stories and facts that weren't written on any of the didactics around the museum. The reason for a 4/5 review was we found the staff to be a bit rude and unhelpful and the museum itself was very confusing to find your way around and there was not a lot of signage directing you how to exit. Overall though the trains were super cool, you could climb into many of them to get a better look, and the kids that were visiting with other…”
Book entry to Brussels Autoworld Museum and explore more than 250 cars, trucks, motorcycles, and royal limousines. An audioguide helps explain the collection, while the museum’s Cinquantenaire Park location makes it easy to pair with nearby museums. Allow one to two hours, or longer for a serious look.
“trés belle exposition sur la marque porsche . tres beau musée automobile . Déja fait plusieurs fois .”
Use the Brussels Card for 24, 48, or 72 hours of museum visits, Atomium skip-the-line entry, and discounts on tours, dining, shopping, and transport alternatives. Pick it up in central Brussels, activate it at first use, and build your own sightseeing plan around the museums that interest you most.
At Choco-Story Brussels, spend about an hour making chocolate tablets, lollipops, and mendiants with help from a chocolatier. You get an apron, plenty of chocolate, toppings, and your creations to take home. Afterward, explore the museum at your own pace, with a demonstration, tasting, and audio guides in 11 languages.
“Small group. Leader was very nice and showed us some tricks of the trade. You get plenty of chocolate! The museum was also interesting and informative. Good value for price.”
Visit Brussels Musical Instruments Museum on Mont des Arts for a self-guided tour across four floors. Your ticket includes an audio device with nearly 300 music clips in English, Dutch, or French. See global instruments, historic keyboards, electronic music, and the world’s oldest preserved saxophone. Concert admission costs extra.
“Great experience! The audio makes the instruments come alive and makes you want to dance. Tip: the QR code can be scanned at the entrance, no need to go to the ticket office to have the angry man send you to the tourist office thinking you've bought a Brussels card. He doesn't know it works.”
Spend a full day at Brussels’ Museum of Art and History, where ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, Belgian archaeology, Asian Buddhas, Islamic art, and Art Nouveau share one grand building. Your $11 ticket includes entry, skips the ticket line, and works well for families, history fans, and rainy-day plans.
“El museo es impresionante y lo disfrutan grandes y chicos.”
Visit BELvue Museum beside Brussels’ Royal Palace and trace Belgium through democracy, prosperity, solidarity, migration, language, pluralism, and Europe. Use the downloadable guide in Dutch, English, French, German, or Italian, then browse more than 200 objects, from coffee filters and fryers to crystal and a Red Devils football.
“musée à découvrir pour connaître ce beau pays”
Use a 48-hour hop-on hop-off ticket to see Brussels landmarks from an open-top bus, with multilingual audio, Wi-Fi, an app, and free walking tours. Stop at Bourse for Belgian Beer World, then continue to the Beer Lab. You can start at any of 11 red-route stops and plan your time around the sights you want to visit.
“Really really nice way to get to know Brussels in a short space of time. Takes you through the major points…good job”
Walk through Brussels’ last surviving medieval gate, follow the educational trail through 14th-century rooms, and learn how fortifications and guilds shaped the city. An English audio guide is included, while the rooftop offers wide city views by stairs. Allow time to find the starting level, especially if renovations affect the layout.
“Reste ouvert malgré les travaux de rénovation. Très belle visite, beaucoup d'informations sur l'histoire de Bruxelles. ça vaut le détour.”
Pick a city, a canal or a cellar.
