Historium Bruges, History museum in Markt, Belgium.
Historium Bruges occupies a Gothic Revival building from 1910–1914 on the Markt, designed by Ieper architect J. Coomans as a governor's residence but never used as one. Its grey stone facade has three pointed arches at street level, two tiers of tall tracery windows, and a steep slate roof with cresting. Inside, seven themed rooms use film, sets and special effects to tell a story set in Bruges during Jan van Eyck's era.
The building on the corner of Markt and Philipstockstraat, left of the Provinciaal Hof, was designed by the Ypres architect J. Coomans and built in 1910-1914 as a residence for the governor, though it was never used as such. It later housed the Flemish Administration for Roads and Traffic. The Historium opened in it on 25 November 2012, after the company founded on 17 January 2006 as MOH (Museum of History) was renamed Historium on 10 April 2012.
The Historium stages the story of Bruges in the era of Jan van Eyck through seven themed rooms using film, sets and special effects, with extra displays on the medieval city. Its Duvelorium beer café, named after the Belgian Duvel brand, is free to enter, and the building also houses a branch of the city tourist service.
The Historium occupies the corner building at Markt 1, at the junction of the Markt and the Philipstockstraat, just left of the Provinciaal Hof. The exhibition, the Duvelorium beer café, the terrace and the tourist-office branch each have their own entrance, so check which door serves what before queueing. The 145 steps of the Gothic tower have been climbable since 2019.
The Duvelorium beer café inside the Historium has free entry and is named after Duvel, a well-known Belgian beer brand. It is separate from the paid exhibition, so passers-by can drop in without a museum ticket.
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