by Karen, Aug 02 2018
Comic strip art is a huge part of Brussels Culture, you’ll see it everywhere in the city and Belgium is home to more comic strip artists per square mile than any other country in the world so where better to visit a museum dedicated to this fun way of reading.
The Comic strip museum is located about 5 minutes from the Grand Place near the National bank of Belgium and housed in a beautiful Art Nouveau building. It has three floors showcasing all the lovely stories and artwork covering every hero and villain imaginable. In the ceiling is a gorgeous skylight making the whole place feel very big and airy.
When you get your admission tickets kids will be given a fun Smurfy Quiz with answers they can find as they explore the museum, it was a nice way to get Piper to engage with the characters and she was super proud as she filled in the answers. Some of the answers were quite hard to find!
The first floor you enter is home to some brilliantly family friendly and instantly recognisable characters like the Smurfs and Tintin and it’s fascinating to read about the history of them and learn about their creators.
Piper loved learning all about who the Smurfs enemies were and exploring the little Smurf mushroom house.
There are also some unexpected surprises as you wander around the exhibition.
And some fun photo ops.
It was fascinating to learn about why comics were invented and also see all the different variations from around the world.
Each author/artist is unique but all follow the same basic rules.
My favourite part was the temporary exhibition about women in comics, historically disappointingly represented – early comics were created by men, for men.
This exhibition explains how a positive movement is creating strong and inspiring role models by the author Catel Muller who firmly places heroines in the spotlight with her illustrated biographies. Her early work is also really cute.
Another fantastic temporary exhibition is dedicated to Asian comic art.
The Panorama of Chinese Comic Strips focuses on the beautiful illustrations and penwork of these talented artists. The area covers everything from calligraphy to Manga
There’s even a cool zoetrope stop animation toy. (yes I did have to google what that is called!)
Downstairs is a cute giftshop and a really lovely library/reading room where we chose some favourites and spent some time just relaxing and reading.
Overall I loved this museum and found it really interesting to learn about the part that comic strips have played in our history. Kids will be mostly interested in the colourful characters and any who have seen the recent Smurf movies will love the Smurf quiz.
For true comic strip fans, there’s a comic strip trail you can follow around the city. See the guide here.
And if you’re looking for a comic-lover friendly hotel to stay in Brussels, The Radisson Red has some fantastic wall art.
What you need to know
The Belgium Comic Strip Centre
Rue Des Sables 20
1000 Brussels
+32 (0)2 219 19 80
Open everyday from 10am to 6pm.
Admission Fees:
Adults €10
Children under 12 €3.50
12-15 €7
You can visit the Comic Strip reading room for free with a ticket to the Museum or its just €0.50 if you don’t want to see the rest of the museum.
Have you been to the Comic Strip Museum in Brussels with kids? What did you think, just leave a comment below and let me know.
Make sure you pin and save for later for ideas on things to do in Brussels with kids.
If you’re looking for family friendly activities in Brussels, you may also like:
A visit to the Choco Story Chocolate Museum
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