The safe reopening of Brussels’ museums

From Monday 18 May, International Museum Day, several Brussels museums will reopen their doors. This reopening will take place in accordance with new rules to allow visitors to discover their rich collections and exhibitions with the least possible risk. Indeed, from now on, several measures including, for some, the purchase of tickets in advance, will be put in place to enable the museums to regulate their timetables and the public to enjoy their visit in the best possible conditions. The Brussels Tourist Office will also be open from Monday 18 May at 10:00.

On 14 March, museums closed their doors. This marked the beginning of a period of confinement that was necessary for the health of the population and healthcare personnel. During this period, several of the museums offered the public virtual tours of their collections and exhibitions. This was an original way of maintaining contact with their visitors and taking their mind of the situation. Since 4 May, the country has been gradually moving out of confinement while respecting the safety instructions necessary to control the pandemic.

It's now the turn of museums to reopen their doors and once again let in a general public that's eager to discover their collections and exhibitions in the flesh. From Monday 18 May, visitors will be able to visit several Brussels museums. To access them, some museums are recommending, among other things, that visitors buy tickets online in order to avoid crowds and to ensure the best possible experience for their future visitors. The museums also advise visitors to be aware of the safety measures in place to ensure a serene visit with as little risk as possible.

The progressive reopening of museums involves the putting in place of certain safety measures that are essential to allow visitors to treat themselves to a welcome and , above all, safe cultural break. These are the principle safety measures:

Booking your visit in advance is strongly advised. Each museum will have a maximum number of visitors (1 per 10m2) and will ensure that social distancing (1.5m apart) is respected, among other things, through markings on the floor and the vigilance of reception and surveillance staff. The necessary measures are taken to avoid visitors crossing inside rooms. Visitors are asked to travel light and only bring as little luggage and bags as possible with them to limit the use of cloakrooms. Hydroalcoholic gel will be available to the public in strategic places. Museums provide for additional cleaning and disinfection of the premises and equipment handled by visitors. Initially, only individual guided tours of people living under the same roof are allowed. For any visit, and in view of the specific configuration of each venue, it is strongly recommended that visitors visit the museum's website to find out about the particular measures of each institution and to ensure a smooth and stress-free visit. “We’ve missed you. Museums are open”: a digital campaign and competition To mark the reopening of some of the capital's museums, visit.brussels, in collaboration with Brussels Museums, is launching a new digital campaign with the slogan "We have missed you. Museums are open", to encourage the public to return to these great cultural institutions. And that's not all, from 1 June to 14 June, every day, prospective visitors can go online and try to win two 48-hour Brussels Cards.

"These are the first signs of a progressive return of tourist and cultural activity in Brussels. There is still a long way to go, but visit.brussels stands alongside all its partners and visitors to help them discover Brussels' treasure in complete serenity" announced Patrick Bontinck, CEO of visit.brussels. “In these unique times, museums are once again becoming places of hope, beauty and encounters" said Pieter Van Der Gheynst, Director of Brussels Museums.