Volkskundemuseum (Folk Museum)

As if time has stood still

Old-school is cool again. The Folk Museum reveals what daily life in Bruges was like in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Visit an old classroom, pharmacy, tailor's workshop, sweet shop or grocer’s store. Time seems to stand still in these restored 17th-century workman's houses. The rooms are full of rare objects from days gone by: tobacco products, children's games, biscuit and chocolate moulds. Ideal for a few hours of discovery and enjoyment with your children.

End your visit with a drink at the ‘The Black Cat' museum inn. If you are lucky, Aristide, the museum's four-legged mascot, will greet you with a quick nuzzle!

Time travel to the childhood of the 1950s-1960s

On the first floor of the museum, the interactive presentation 'Children of the Past' takes young and old on a journey through time to experience childhood in the 1950s and 1960s. Three themed rooms – a living room, a kitchen, and a space dedicated to holidays and leisure – along with numerous objects bring the atmosphere of that time to life, inviting (grand)parents and their (grand)children to share memories and talk about their childhood.

In children's size

The Volkskundemuseum is one of the most family-friendly museums in Bruges. Scattered throughout the museum are seven game stations. Here, the youngest visitors can practice their beautiful handwriting, weigh coffee with an old scale, try on hats, or play tailor. Additionally, each room has text panels with explanations tailored for children. On the first floor of the museum, the interactive presentation "Children of the Past" takes young and old on a journey through time to experience childhood in the 1950s and 1960s. Three themed rooms – a living room, a kitchen, and a space dedicated to holidays and leisure – along with numerous objects bring the atmosphere of that time to life, inviting (grand)parents and their (grand)children to share memories and talk about their childhood.

The museum also has folk games and a suitcase with all kinds of children's games (pavement chalk to draw hopscotch, jacks, stretchers, skipping rope, marbles and spinning tops) available, these are always put outside in good weather (even in winter). The case contains explanation sheets for each game.

Are you a sweet tooth? Every first and third Thursday afternoon of the month, the sweet maker bakes artisanal sweets in the authentic sweet shop.