8 quirky, can’t-miss museums in Brussels

Most visitors to Brussels take a selfie with Manneken Pis, admire the architecture of Grand Place, and grab a cone of fries or box of chocolates before heading to the train station and their next stop in Europe. But there’s more to Brussels than comfort food, Baroque buildings, and cheeky statues. Here, eight quirky and completely captivating museums that make your trip to Brussels anything but ordinary, from a museum beneath the city's streets to a spot dedicated figurines from your favorite comic books.

Just around the corner from Brussels’ favorite mini statue is GardeRobe MannekenPis, a museum dedicated to the story behind this iconic statue, including his varied wardrobe and tumultuous background. You’ll see a rotating collection of about 140 outfits from Manneken Pis' more than 1,100-piece wardrobe (20–30 new outfits are added every year). If your favorite look isn’t on display, you can use the museum’s interactive terminal to explore the entire garment collection.

During an audio tour, you’ll hear about Manneken Pis’ chaotic past (which includes amputation and multiple kidnappings), see the oldest ensemble in the collection (offered by King Louis XV of France in 1747), and learn how an outfit is donated to Manneken Pis after being approved by his Official Dresser. Lastly, you can play stylist: one of the interactive exhibits allows you to try your hand at dressing Manneken Pis on one of the replica statues.

Leaving the paper craft of comics to the Belgian Comic Strip Center, the Brussels Comics Museum celebrates figurines straight out of the pages of The Smurfs, Tintin, and the best of Marvel and DC’s superhero line-up. The private collection of figurines, ranging from pint-size to life-size, is displayed across 14,000 square feet alongside photos, videos, and original artwork. The collection is continuously updated and the museum (also known as MOOF, or the Museum of Original Figurines) often hosts temporary exhibits so there’s something for everyone, no matter when you visit. Just beware of the last exhibit, especially if you're traveling with kids, where a gigantic monster figurine may or may not pop out of the shadows.

While a deep dive into the sanitation system may not be the most obvious addition to a vacation itinerary, Brussels’ Sewer Museum manages to make the tunnels running under the city a must-visit. With an audio guide narrated by two sewage workers, you’ll learn how and why sewers were constructed in Brussels, and the important work they do to support waste management, flood control, and transportation. Your visit to the Sewer Museum ends with a leisurely stroll along the Senne, the river that runs through an actual sewer below Brussels.

In 1731, Archduchess Maria Elisabeth of Austria forgot to extinguish her candles in Coudenberg Palace, leaving half the royal home destroyed and giving it the nickname Burnt Court. It was eventually razed to the ground in order to make way for Place Royale, the royal square that sits atop the archaeological ruins today. Now, what was once the home of Belgian nobility from the 12th to 18th century is a maze of underground passages, tunnels, and cellars.

Thanks to excavation work that began in the 1980s, the remains of Coudenberg Palace are now open to the public. Learn about the history of the palace via an audio guide you can access on your phone (the museum's WiFi is free, too). If you're traveling with young kids, the audio guide won't be particularly exciting, so instead, book the kid-friendly treasure hunt in advance online. Kids will pick up a backpack filled with a self-guided treasure map, costume, and flashlight for maximum engagement.

Want to visit all of Europe’s top sights but don’t have the time? Know you can see them all in Brussels—but there's a catch: they’re all miniature. Mini-Europe is an open-air museum showcasing 350 monuments from every European Union member country at 1/25th their actual size. It'll take you about two hours to make it past the Eiffel Tower, the canals of Venice, Big Ben, and so much more. And don't think you'll just be viewing the miniatures from the sidelines: you can set off a tiny eruption at Mount Vesuvius and even try to steal the mini Mona Lisa.

The museum is conveniently located right next to one of Brussels’ most iconic monuments, the Atomium, so you can easily hit up both in an afternoon—with a stop at the cafeteria-style restaurant onsite for a snack in between.

Inside a futuristic structure in Anderlecht, about 30 minutes from central Brussels on the Metro's Line 5, you’ll find a collection of over 1,500 objects that tell the story of medicine from the eighth century BC to modern day. The Museum of Medicine is home to more than 300 anatomical wax figures (not for the faint of heart), medical books from the 16th to 19th centuries, and pre-Columbian terracotta statues that were used to protect their owners from disease.

Guided tours of the museum are only offered in Dutch or French—but don't let that dissuade you from a visit. The objects on display are extremely visual, so you can still take in the fascinating surroundings without a tour.

Home to a host of European Union institutions, Brussels is often recognized as the capital of the EU—and one of the best way to learn about the European Union is at the free, self-guided Parlamentarium. A haven for history buffs, it covers the EU's history through archival documents and footage and is filled with interactive exhibits that let you watch decisions getting made in parliament in real time and even take part in a role-play exercise to have your say on the issues of tomorrow, just like Members of the European Parliament do. Tip: most of the engaging exhibits are on the lower level, so if you start getting overwhelmed by the historical info upstairs, be sure to head below.

You can’t visit Brussels without sampling chocolate, and there’s no better place to do that than the Belgian Chocolate Village. Located in a former chocolate and biscuit factory, the Belgian Chocolate Village offers audio guides that walk you through the rich history of the sweet and how cocoa beans grow in tropical greenhouses. It's also home to a slew of sculptures of famous Belgian landmarks made out of—you guessed it—chocolate.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a real chocolate village unless you got to taste the good stuff. In the workshop, you’ll watch chocolatiers at work and taste their creations. Then it’s off to the salon for more chocolate tasting and, finally, the gift shop to pick up plenty of tasty souvenirs for your journey home.