Museum aan de Stroom (MAS)
The basics
MAS’s five themed floors of interactive displays make use of nearly half a million artifacts—which range from Old Master paintings, model boats, and newsreels to penny farthings, model ships, and personal accounts on video—to trace Antwerp’s development into one of Europe’s largest ports and the center of the diamond trade. On the 9th floor, an outdoor terrace offers views stretching over the city to the River Scheldt. Outside is the MAS Boulevard, with a couple of small temporary exhibition galleries.
Things to know before you go
- You can buy an admission ticket for just the permanent exhibition, or a combo pass that covers both permanent and temporary exhibitions.
- The museum has a cloakroom, restrooms, escalators, and an elevator, and is wheelchair accessible.
- You can listen to audio guides throughout the museum using your own headphones, or you can buy headphones from the counter.
- There’s both a casual café and award-winning fine dining at the museum.
How to get there
Standing just north of the city center on a dock commissioned by Napoleon in 1811, the Museum aan de Stroom is hard to miss. The closest tram stop is Antwerpen Mas, on tram line number 7, and the museum is a 30-minute walk from Antwerp central station.
Trip ideas
When to get there
The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from morning until evening; the promenade surrounding the building stays open until late at night, and even later during the summer months. The museum is closed Mondays and on public holidays.
Dining at Michelin-starred Zilte
Unusually for a museum, MAS also has the triple-Michelin-starred restaurant Zilte, presided over by chef Viki Geunes. Set on the 9th floor, the restaurant takes visitors on a gastronomic journey that focuses primarily on seafood, drawing inspiration from Antwerp’s rich maritime history. Since tables book up months in advance, be sure to make a reservation early.
- Brabo Fountain
- Red Star Line Museum
- Butcher's Hall (Vleeshuis)
- Grand Market Place (Grote Markt van Antwerpen)
- Rubens House (Rubenshuis)
- Plantin-Moretus Museum
- ModeMuseum (MoMu)
- Aquatopia
- Diamondland
- Diamond District
- Central Station
- Antwerp Zoo (Dierentuin)
- Museum of Contemporary Art Antwerp (M HKA)
- Het Zuid
- Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA)