Royal Museums for Art and History (KMKG-MRAH)

The Royal Museums of Art and History encompass various renowned museums in Brussels. Specifically, these include the Art & History Museum, the Musical Instruments Museum and the Halle Gate. They house one of the largest and most diverse art collections in Belgium.

The Royal Museums of Art and History regularly organize prestigious exhibitions on various historical and art historical topics.

 Art & History Museum

All our objects are alive and have a story to tell. From Prehistoric to Art Nouveau, prepare to be amazed by unique and magnificent manmade masterpieces.

National archaeology illustrates the continuous development of the work of artisans in our region, from prehistoric times through the Gallo-Roman and Merovingian age. In addition, it offers insight into contemporary archaeological research.

Antiquities Near East, Egypt, Greece and Rome) brings us back to the cradle of our Western civilization. The Egyptian mummies, the Greek vases, the model of Rome and the depiction of the city in the 4th century will fascinate young and old.

Non-European civilizations presents the visitor with the different world cultures through the ages. Almost all parts of the world are represented: America (pre-Colombian civilizations and contemporary traditional communities), the cultural world of Islam (from Spain till India), South-east Asia (from Cambodja, Thailand and Myanmar (Birma) over Vietnam and Laos to the immeasurable Archipelago Indonesia), Tibet en Nepal, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, China, Japan, Koreo, and Oceania (with remarkable, impressive objects from Easter Island)

European decorative arts from the middle ages to the 20th century includes sculpture, furniture, tapestries, textiles, costumes, lace, ceramics, metal, vehicles and film and photography.... These objects are more than just beautiful to look at: they also create a portrait of an era and illustrate various ways that society has evolved. The magnificent “treasure house” is also part of this department. These spaces house masterpieces of art from the Maasland region. The Circuit Gothic-Renaissance-Baroque from the middle ages to the Baroque era deserves special attention. It includes spectacular tapestries and altarpieces.One century after the official inauguration of the Wolfers Frères jewellery store in 1912, visitors are once again able to admire the shop in its original form. To do this, the Museum Art & History has cleared a room "Art Nouveau and Art Deco" of approximately the same shape and area as that originally foreseen by Victor Horta . The “heart museum” is a curiosity: this room displays heart-shaped objects only. It is the collection of the cardiologist Noubar Boyadjian.

In the Museum, special exhibitions are held each year in the “Museum for the blind”. Blind and visually impaired visitors are given the chance to discover objects of art by touch.

Museum of Musical Instruments (MIM)

The Museum of Musical Instruments (MIM) was recently moved to the former “Old England” storehouse, designed by the architect Saintenoy. This splendid Art Nouveau building houses a collection of over 9,000 musical instruments from the four corners of the Earth, dating from every epoch.The museum represents a departure from the tradition of the museum as “sacred repository” of objects from the past. It is intended as a music center and the entire collection will be brought to life by modern media.

Halle Gate

The Halle Gate is a 600 years old fairytale monument, the most remarkable witness of the medieval past of the city of Brussels! The Halle Gate hosts a beautiful collection of works and multiple educational contents highlighting its history and that of the Brussels fortifications..

Pavilion of Human Passions

The Horta-Lambeaux pavilion or the pavilion of human instincts is a modest little building designed by Victor Horta. It is located in the Jubelpark and can be visited on request. Jef Lambeaux’s famous bas-relief on human instincts is displayed there, a work that aroused great controversy in its day.