Rainy Day Brussels
Indoor places for a wet day
Brussels has museums of art, comics, music, trains and cars, plus Art Nouveau houses that open to visitors and covered galleries such as the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert. Opening hours and prices come from each place's own page, so check the place page before you go.
77 places
All year When
The places
Museum · Mont des Arts and Royal Quarter BELvue Museum A museum on Place des Palais, next to the Royal Palace, about the history of Belgium and the Belgians.
Museum · Mont des Arts and Royal Quarter Musical Instruments Museum (MIM) The musical instruments museum in the old Old England building on Montagne de la Cour, with a rooftop cafe that looks over the city.
Museum · Mont des Arts and Royal Quarter Charlier Museum A house museum on Avenue des Arts in Saint-Josse-ten-Noode, built around an art collection that was once the home of the Charlier family.
Museum · Sainte-Catherine and De Brouckère Comics Art Museum Brussels' comic strip museum, in the former Waucquez warehouse on Rue des Sables. It follows Belgian comics, from Tintin to the Smurfs.
Museum · Grand-Place and Îlot Sacré Fashion and Lace Museum A museum on Rue de la Violette, close to the Grand-Place, about fashion and lace.
Museum · Grand-Place and Îlot Sacré Choco-Story Brussels A chocolate museum on Rue de l'Étuve, a few steps from Manneken-Pis, that follows cocoa from the Aztecs to Belgian pralines.
Museum · Place Saint-Géry Belgian Beer World A beer experience inside the former stock exchange on Place de la Bourse, with a tasting included in the visit.
Museum · European Quarter and Cinquantenaire Museum of Natural Sciences The natural history museum on Rue Vautier in the European Quarter, known for its dinosaur hall with the Iguanodons found at Bernissart.
Museum · Sablon and Marolles Porte de Hal The last standing gate of the medieval city wall, on the edge of the Marolles and Saint-Gilles. It is run by the Royal Museums of Art and History.
Museum · European Quarter and Cinquantenaire Art and History Museum The large museum of the Cinquantenaire Park, with collections from antiquity, Europe and the world.
Museum · European Quarter and Cinquantenaire Autoworld A car museum in a hall of the Cinquantenaire Park, with vintage and classic vehicles.
Museum · European Quarter and Cinquantenaire Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History The military history museum in the Cinquantenaire Park. It covers weapons, uniforms and aircraft.
Museum · European Quarter and Cinquantenaire House of European History A museum on Rue Belliard, in Parc Léopold, about the history of Europe. Entry is free.
Museum · Schaerbeek and Saint-Josse Train World A railway museum in the old Schaerbeek station, with historic locomotives and carriages.
Museum · Schaerbeek and Saint-Josse Maison Autrique An Art Nouveau house on Chaussée de Haecht in Schaerbeek, the first town house designed by Victor Horta, now open as a museum.
Museum · Louise and Châtelain Hôtel Solvay A Horta town house on Avenue Louise, built for the industrialist Armand Solvay, with an Art Nouveau interior.
Museum · Anderlecht Cantillon Brewery and Museum of Gueuze A working lambic brewery in Anderlecht that doubles as a museum. Visitors can see the brewing rooms and taste gueuze.
Museum · Anderlecht Erasmus House A museum in Anderlecht in the house where the humanist Erasmus stayed in 1521, with a garden.
Museum · Saint-Gilles and Forest Wiels Contemporary Art Centre A contemporary art centre in the former Wielemans-Ceuppens brewery on Avenue Van Volxem in Forest.
Museum · Laeken and Heysel Design Museum Brussels A design museum on Place de Belgique at the foot of the Atomium, in the Heysel Plateau.
Museum · Laeken and Heysel Atomium The steel structure of nine spheres built for the 1958 World's Fair on the Heysel Plateau. Visitors can enter the spheres, which hold exhibitions and a view over the city.
Museum · Koekelberg and Jette Magritte House The house in Jette where René Magritte lived and worked from 1930 to 1954, now a museum.
Museum · Woluwe Musée de Tram (Tram Museum) A museum of Brussels' urban transport on Avenue de Tervueren, with historic trams and buses.
Museum · Saint-Gilles and Forest Contretype A photography centre in the Hôtel Hannon, an Art Nouveau house on Avenue de la Jonction in Saint-Gilles.
Museum · Mont des Arts and Royal Quarter Coudenberg Archaeological Site The excavated ruins of the former Palace of Brussels, under Place Royale.
Museum · Mont des Arts and Royal Quarter BOZAR The arts centre in Victor Horta's Palais des Beaux-Arts on Rue Ravenstein, with exhibitions, concerts and films.
Museum · Mont des Arts and Royal Quarter Cinematek The cinema archive of Belgium, with screenings in the Palais des Beaux-Arts on Rue Baron Horta.
Landmark · Grand-Place and Îlot Sacré Brussels Town Hall The Gothic Town Hall on the Grand-Place, with a tall tower topped by a figure of Saint Michael.
Landmark · Grand-Place and Îlot Sacré Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert A glass-roofed shopping arcade opened in 1847, with chocolate shops, cafes and a cinema.
Landmark · Grand-Place and Îlot Sacré Maison du Roi The building facing the Town Hall on the Grand-Place that houses the Brussels City Museum.
Landmark · Sainte-Catherine and De Brouckère La Monnaie / De Munt The opera house of Brussels on Place de la Monnaie.
Landmark · European Quarter and Cinquantenaire Berlaymont The cross-shaped headquarters of the European Commission on Rue de la Loi.
Landmark · European Quarter and Cinquantenaire Résidence Palace (Europa building) An Art Deco block on Rue de la Loi that is now the seat of the European Council and the Europa building.
Landmark · Matongé and Flagey Flagey The Art Deco former radio building on Place Sainte-Croix in Ixelles, now a cultural centre with concerts, films and a cafe.
Landmark · Laeken and Heysel Royal Greenhouses of Laeken The glass and iron greenhouses of the Royal Palace of Laeken. They open to the public for a few weeks each spring.
Landmark · Tour & Taxis and Molenbeek Tour & Taxis A former customs and goods depot on the canal, now home to events, shops and offices.
Landmark · Anderlecht RSC Anderlecht (Lotto Park) The home ground of the football club RSC Anderlecht, on Avenue Théo Verbeeck.
Landmark · Uccle and Forêt de Soignes Observatoire royal de Belgique The Royal Observatory of Belgium on Avenue Circulaire in Uccle, home of its research institute.
Shopping · Woluwe Woluwe Shopping Centre A large shopping centre in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert.
Church · Anderlecht Beguinage of Anderlecht A former beguinage in Anderlecht beside Erasmus House.
Viewpoint · Koekelberg and Jette Basilica of Koekelberg Panoramic Terrace A panoramic terrace on top of the basilica with a view over Brussels.
Shopping · Grand-Place and Îlot Sacré Maison Dandoy A biscuit and waffle maker on Rue au Beurre.
Shopping · Grand-Place and Îlot Sacré Delvaux A Belgian leather goods house with a shop in the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert.
Shopping · Grand-Place and Îlot Sacré Tropismes A bookshop in the Galerie des Princes, in a former ballroom.
Shopping · Grand-Place and Îlot Sacré Pierre Marcolini A chocolatier with a shop on Rue des Minimes, facing the Sablon.
Shopping · Sablon and Marolles Wittamer A chocolatier and pastry shop on Place du Grand Sablon.
Shopping · Sablon and Marolles Laurent Gerbaud A chocolate maker on Rue Ravenstein, behind Bozar.
Shopping · Dansaert and Canal Passa Porta A bookshop and literary house on Rue Antoine Dansaert.
Shopping · Sainte-Catherine and De Brouckère City2 A shopping centre on Rue Neuve.
Shopping · Sablon and Marolles Chocolatier Elisabeth A chocolate shop in the Galerie de la Reine.
Day trip · Leuven Leuven Town Hall A Gothic town hall on Leuven's Grote Markt, covered with statues.
Day trip · Leuven M Leuven The museum of Leuven, in the city centre.
Day trip · Mechelen Kazerne Dossin A memorial, museum and documentation centre on the Holocaust and human rights in Mechelen.
Day trip · Mechelen Toy Museum Mechelen A museum of toys in Mechelen.
Day trip · Tervuren Africa Museum The museum of Central Africa in Tervuren, in a building by Charles Girault.
Day trip · Ghent Gravensteen The castle of the Counts of Flanders in the centre of Ghent.
Day trip · Ghent Museum of Fine Arts Ghent The fine arts museum of Ghent, in Citadel Park.
Day trip · Ghent Saint Bavo's Cathedral Ghent's cathedral, home to the Ghent Altarpiece.
Day trip · Bruges Choco-Story Bruges A chocolate museum in the centre of Bruges.
Day trip · Antwerp Rubens House The house and studio of the painter Peter Paul Rubens in Antwerp.
Day trip · Antwerp Plantin-Moretus Museum A printing museum in the former home of the Plantin-Moretus printing family on the Vrijdagmarkt in Antwerp.
Day trip · Antwerp Cathedral of Our Lady Antwerp The Gothic cathedral of Antwerp, with paintings by Rubens.
Day trip · Antwerp Red Star Line Museum A museum about emigration to America from Antwerp, in the former Red Star Line buildings on the quay.
Day trip · Antwerp Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA) The Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, in a neoclassical building in the south of the city.
Museum · Tour & Taxis and Molenbeek La Fonderie A museum in a former foundry in Molenbeek about the industrial and social history of Brussels.
Museum · Uccle and Forêt de Soignes Museum Van Buuren A house museum in Uccle with an Art Deco interior and a garden.
Museum · Mont des Arts and Royal Quarter National Bank Museum The museum of the National Bank of Belgium, in the centre of Brussels.
Day trip · Louvain-la-Neuve Musée Hergé The museum dedicated to Hergé, the creator of Tintin, in Louvain-la-Neuve.
Day trip · Mechelen Technopolis A hands-on science centre in Mechelen.
Day trip · Antwerp MoMu Fashion Museum The fashion museum of Antwerp.
Day trip · Antwerp Museum Mayer van den Bergh A museum in Antwerp that holds Bruegel's painting Dulle Griet.
Day trip · Antwerp DIVA Antwerp Home of Diamonds A museum about diamonds and jewellery in the centre of Antwerp.
Day trip · Ghent Design Museum Gent A design museum in the centre of Ghent.
Day trip · Mons Mundaneum An archive and exhibition centre in Mons that preserves the Mundaneum project of Paul Otlet and Henri La Fontaine.
Landmark · European Quarter and Cinquantenaire Pavillon Horta-Lambeaux A pavilion in the Cinquantenaire Park, designed by Victor Horta, that houses the relief The Human Passions.
Landmark · European Quarter and Cinquantenaire Maison Cauchie An Art Nouveau house in Etterbeek, designed in 1905 by the artist Paul Cauchie.
Pub · Tour & Taxis and Molenbeek Brasserie de la Senne A Brussels craft brewery that makes beers in the north-west of the city.
