Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History Museum

Address: Cinquantenaire Park (Parc du Cinquantenaire), Brussels

The Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History is a national museum in Brussels focusing on Belgian and European military history. It is housed in the buildings of the Parc du Cinquantenaire (Jubelpark) and comprises large exhibition halls for arms, uniforms and historical material.

Exhibits cover historical periods from early modern warfare through the World Wars to 20th-century military technology, with displays of uniforms, weapons, artillery and related objects. Large halls allow the presentation of oversized items such as artillery pieces and vehicles, and the museum stages temporary exhibitions on specific themes.

The collection grew from 19th-century initiatives to preserve military material and has been developed and reorganised within the Cinquantenaire complex; the museum now serves as Belgium’s principal institution for military heritage and public interpretation of armed forces history.

Located within Parc du Cinquantenaire in eastern Brussels, the museum is near the European Quarter and a short distance east of central Brussels and the Grand Place.

• Location and scope: The museum occupies buildings in Brussels’ Parc du Cinquantenaire (Jubelpark) and chronicles Belgian military history alongside broader European conflicts.
• Collections and access: Collections include uniforms, weapons, equipment and larger material such as artillery and vehicles displayed in large exhibition halls; check seasonal opening times for temporary exhibitions.

What to See#

• Permanent exhibition halls: Permanent galleries are organised around chronological and thematic displays that cover pre-19th-century regiments, the two World Wars and post-war military technology, all housed within the Cinquantenaire complex.
• Display halls and armaments: Large display halls accommodate weapons, uniforms and vehicles; outdoor and internal displays present artillery pieces and historic armaments used by the Belgian armed forces.

The museum is in Parc du Cinquantenaire (Jubelpark). Take Metro lines to Schuman or Merode and walk through the park, or use tram and bus services that stop nearby.

• Allow time to explore the Cinquantenaire park and the nearby Autoworld museum for a broader military and transport history experience.
• Check whether sections of the museum are closed for conservation; the Royal Museum's displays rotate and parts of the halls can be under restoration.