Royal Military Museum, Military and aviation museum in Cinquantenaire Park, Brussels, Belgium.
The Royal Military Museum is a military and aviation museum located within Cinquantenaire Park in Brussels that houses over 100,000 objects from different periods. The collection spans weapons, uniforms, medals, vehicles, and aircraft displayed across multiple exhibition halls within the historic complex.
The museum was founded in 1923 to preserve Belgian military heritage, starting with around 900 items donated by officer Louis Leconte after World War I. The collection grew significantly over the following decades through continued donations and acquisitions.
The museum's name honours the army and military history, and its collection began with about 900 items gathered by officer Louis Leconte from German equipment abandoned in 1918. Uniforms worn by Leopold I, Leopold II, Albert I and Emperor William II are on display, alongside the British Mark IV tank 'Lodestar III'. A 2021 purchase of a uniform attributed to Hermann Fegelein, Hitler's brother-in-law, for €24,000 was later questioned as a possible forgery and withdrawn from the galleries.
The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 09:00 to 17:00 and offers guided tours along with family activities. Some areas have wheelchair access, and the Documentation Centre can be visited by arrangement.
The museum displays one of the world's most varied aircraft collections, ranging from World War I planes to modern F-16 fighter jets. Outdoor displays also include vintage tanks and Belgian naval vessels, among them royal yachts.
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