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Museums
Museums in Bruges: which one for what, the museum card, and when they close
Photo: Kris Vandevorst, Onroerend Erfgoed, CC BY 4.0, cropped
Bruges has thirteen city museums, run by Musea Brugge, and a handful of private ones. For the Flemish masters go to the Groeninge Museum (until 11 January 2027, then BRUSK) and St John's Hospital; for the city's own story, the Gruuthuse Museum and the Belfry. The Musea Brugge Card costs €49 for 72 hours and pays off from the third or fourth museum. Most city museums close on Mondays, the Gruuthuse on Wednesdays, and under 13s enter free.
Staying in Bruges? Our nine rooms are a short walk from here. See the rooms
Which museum for what?
Flemish Primitives (Van Eyck, Memling, Van der Goes, David, Bosch)
the Groeninge Museum until 10 January 2027. From 12 March 2027 the heart of its collection is shown at BRUSK, next door on the Dijver, while the Groeninge is renovated for about four years.
Memling in the place he painted for
St John's Hospital, a medieval hospital with seven of his works and a 17th-century pharmacy.
How the rich of Bruges lived
the Gruuthuse Museum, a 15th-century palace with tapestries, lace, silver and an oratory that looks into the Church of Our Lady.
Michelangelo
the museum part of the Church of Our Lady, with his marble Madonna and Child and the tombs of Charles the Bold and Mary of Burgundy. The church itself is free.
The view
the Belfry on the Markt, 366 steps to the top.
Power and politics
the Gothic Hall of the City Hall on the Burg, with the Liberty of Bruges (Brugse Vrije) and its huge carved chimneypiece on the same ticket.
New art
BRUSK, the city's new art gallery on the Dijver, opened in May 2026.
Everyday life
the Folklore Museum, on daily life in Bruges in the past.
Quiet corners
Our Lady of the Pottery, a 13th-century hospital and church on the water (open Friday to Sunday), and the Sint-Janshuis windmill on the city ramparts (summer only, and every second Sunday from December).
What does the Musea Brugge Card cover?
Price
€49. Under 26 €37, under 18 €25. There is no children's card, because under 13s enter free anyway.
What you get
one visit to every open Musea Brugge location within 72 hours. The 72 hours start at your first visit, and you can start them up to a year after buying the card.
Included
the Belfry, BRUSK, the Groeninge Museum, the Gruuthuse Museum, St John's Hospital, the museum part of the Church of Our Lady, the City Hall with the Liberty of Bruges, Our Lady of the Pottery, the Folklore Museum and the windmill.
Not included
private museums such as the Historium, Choco-Story or the Lace Centre, and the Basilica of the Holy Blood.
Where to buy
online, at the museum pavilion near the Gruuthuse, at the museum shop at Dijver 16, or at the museums themselves, except Our Lady of the Pottery and the Church of Our Lady.
Is the museum card worth it?
Add up the tickets you plan to use. The Belfry costs €16 (€15 in winter), BRUSK €20, and the Groeninge Museum, the Gruuthuse Museum and St John's Hospital €15 each. Three €15 museums come to €45, so the card pays off from the fourth; if the Belfry or BRUSK is among them, it pays off from the third.
If you only want one or two, buy separate tickets. The Gruuthuse Museum and the museum part of the Church of Our Lady also have a combined ticket of €19.
If you live in Belgium or visit often, the Belgian museumPASSmusées (€64.95 for a year, valid in more than 250 museums) also covers every Musea Brugge location and the Lace Centre.
Which museums close on Mondays?
Closed on Mondays
the Groeninge Museum, BRUSK, St John's Hospital (with its pharmacy) and the Folklore Museum, which also closes on Tuesdays in winter.
Open on Mondays
the Belfry, the City Hall, the museum part of the Church of Our Lady and the Gruuthuse Museum.
Closed on Wednesdays
the Gruuthuse Museum.
Open only some days
Our Lady of the Pottery (Friday to Sunday) and the Liberty of Bruges on its own (weekends).
Most city museums open from 9:30 to 17:00; the last entry is 30 minutes before closing. All of them close on 25 December and 1 January, and close at 16:00 on 24 and 31 December.
Do I need to book the Belfry?
Book a time slot online, also if you have the museum card. Only a small group climbs at a time, and if you arrive too early or too late for your slot, entry is not guaranteed. In winter (3 November to 31 March) the Belfry opens Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 18:00, on Saturdays from 9:00 to 20:00 and on Sundays from 9:00 to 18:00; in summer every day from 9:00 to 20:00. The last climb starts an hour before closing.
Who gets in free?
Children: under 13 at every Musea Brugge location; at the Belfry, under 7.
Residents of Bruges and its districts enter free.
The churches: the Church of Our Lady itself and the Basilica of the Holy Blood are free to enter.
There is no free day for visitors at the city museums.
And the private museums?
Historium, on the Markt
a story attraction with film and sets, from €22. Not included in the museum card.
Choco-Story
the chocolate museum, €16, or €22.50 with the Frietmuseum.
Lace Centre (Kantcentrum)
lace museum with demonstrations, €8, closed on Sundays. The museumPASSmusées is valid; the Musea Brugge Card is not.
Xpo Salvador Dalí, in the Belfry building
€10.
Bruges Beer Experience
€14, or €20 with three tastings.
Frequently asked questions
How much is the Musea Brugge Card?
€49, or €37 under 26 and €25 under 18. Children under 13 do not need one, because they enter the city museums free.
Is the Historium included in the Musea Brugge Card?
No. The Historium is private. The card covers only the thirteen Musea Brugge locations.
Which Bruges museums are open on Mondays?
The Belfry, the City Hall, the museum part of the Church of Our Lady and the Gruuthuse Museum. The Groeninge Museum, BRUSK and St John's Hospital are closed.
Are museums in Bruges free for children?
Yes, under 13s enter every Musea Brugge location free, except the Belfry, where it is under 7.
Is the Groeninge Museum closing?
Yes, on 11 January 2027, for about four years. From 12 March 2027 the heart of its collection is shown at BRUSK, on the Dijver; BRUSK is included in the museum card.
Does the museumPASSmusées work in Bruges?
Yes, at every Musea Brugge location and at the Lace Centre.
More guides
All guides
Museums
Groeninge Museum: the Flemish masters in one visit
Jan van Eyck, Hans Memling and the Flemish Primitives. Closes for renovation on 11 January 2027.
Read the guide
Museums
Gruuthuse Museum
The palace of Louis of Gruuthuse: 500 years of Bruges in tapestries, lace and stained glass.
Read the guide
Sights
Historium Bruges: is it worth it, and how long does it take?
Film and sets tell a story set in 15th-century Bruges, on the Markt. Allow about an hour.
Read the guide
Stay in a house built for Charles the Bold
Moerstraat 23, five minutes from the Markt. Book here for €10 less than on Booking.com.
Check Availability