Brussels has more museums per square kilometre than almost any other European capital. From Flemish Primitive paintings to post-modern architecture, from dinosaurs to steam trains: the cultural wealth is overwhelming. Happily, the majority of Brussels' museums have worked on wheelchair accessibility in recent years. In this guide we walk through twelve museums where you can soak up culture without worry — including practical information about metro access, reduced-mobility parking and discounts.
Art houses on and around the Mont des Arts
The Magritte Museum on Place Royale is fully wheelchair-accessible via a separate side entrance. Lifts connect the four floors that chronologically unfold the surrealist's work. Adapted toilets are available in the hall and on the third floor. Take note: during peak times the lift is busy, so reserving a time slot is recommended.
Nearby you will find the Royal Museums of Fine Arts, with masterpieces by Bruegel, Rubens and the Flemish Primitives. The various buildings (Old Masters, Fin-de-Siècle, Magritte) are linked by underground passages. All rooms have lifts, and wheelchair loans are available at the desk.
The palace of culture BOZAR, designed by Victor Horta, is fully accessible thanks to thorough renovations. Raised spaces for wheelchair users are provided in every concert hall, and there are adapted toilets on every floor. Tickets with a reduced-mobility seat must be ordered in advance via the accessibility desk.
Music and dinosaurs
The Musical Instruments Museum is housed in the iconic Art Nouveau "Old England" building next to Place Royale. Lifts take you to every floor, including the roof terrace with a view over Brussels. Visitors receive an audio guide that automatically plays music at each instrument — a marvel of universal design. Adapted toilets on floors zero and three.
A little further on, in Leopold Park, lies the Museum of Natural Sciences with its world-famous Iguanodon Hall. The museum is fully wheelchair-accessible: a lift connects the floors, the wide paths between the skeletons allow plenty of room to manoeuvre, and interactive stations are placed at a low height. For children there is an adapted "Dinokids" zone, also accessible to young wheelchair users.
History and comics
The Art & History Museum at the Cinquantenaire is an immense building with collections from every civilisation. A recently renovated accessible entrance on the north side avoids the historic steps of the main entrance. Lifts connect every wing. Because of the sheer size, it is advisable to plan a visit around one specific department.
The Belgian Comic Strip Center, housed in another Horta building, is almost entirely accessible: a lift reaches all exhibition rooms and there is an adapted entrance to the left of the main portal. Permanent exhibitions on Tintin, the Smurfs and Lucky Luke make the museum popular across all ages. A free audio guide in four languages leads you through the collection.
Brussels identity
The BELvue Museum, right next to the Royal Palace, tells the story of Belgium and its democracy. The building is fully accessible via a separate side entrance with a ramp and lift. Beneath the museum lies the archaeological site of Coudenberg, where the remains of the former palace of Charles V can be seen — this site is also (partially) accessible via a lift that starts at the BELvue entrance.
Technical heritage: trains and cars
Train World in Schaerbeek is one of Brussels' newest and most accessible museums. The route leads you past real historic trains and is completely level, with no thresholds. Even several carriages are accessible via ramps and lifts, a rarity in the museum world. Adapted toilets in multiple locations, generous reduced-mobility parking at Schaerbeek station.
Another gem for technology enthusiasts is Autoworld in the southern part of the Cinquantenaire halls. The enormous building with its historic metal roof structure houses more than two hundred classic cars. The museum is entirely level and accessible, with a lift up to the mezzanine. Reduced-mobility parking right at the entrance.
Stars and Art Nouveau
The Planetarium of Brussels on the Heysel plateau has an adapted entrance with a lift up to the dome hall. Inside the dome there are four reserved spaces for wheelchair users with a perfect view of the projection. The surrounding exhibitions are likewise fully accessible.
Finally, the Horta Museum in Saint-Gilles — the former home of architect Victor Horta. Here we have to be honest: the historic building is only partially wheelchair-accessible. Only the ground-floor rooms (dining room, salon, winter garden) are reachable without stairs. The upper floors with the famous staircase are unfortunately not feasible. The museum does, however, offer a comprehensive virtual tour as an alternative to what you cannot visit in person.
Practical tips for museum visits in Brussels
Metro access. The Brussels metro is partly accessible: stations such as Arts-Loi, Trône, Hankar, Schuman and Heysel have lifts. Not every line, however, has a lift at every station — use the metro map with accessibility labels on the STIB website to plan your route in advance. Tram and bus lines are nearly all level-access, with automatic boarding ramps.
Reduced-mobility parking. Around every major museum cluster you will find reserved disabled parking: near BOZAR and Magritte in the Grand Place or Albertine car parks, near the Cinquantenaire in the car park on Avenue de Cortenbergh, and near Train World in the station car park. The European disability parking card gives you free access everywhere, including paid zones.
Free companion tickets. Nearly every Brussels museum works with the "Museum PASS for persons with a disability", allowing a companion free entry. Enquire at the ticket desk or book online — the discount is applied automatically on presentation of a European parking card or a CIM certificate.
Brussels Card and combi tickets. If you want to visit several museums in one day, a Brussels Card (24, 48 or 72 hours) is the best option. The card is valid in thirty museums, including almost all of the above. Do note: the card itself does not offer a discount for persons with a disability, so it is worth checking per museum which option is the best value.