Antwerp will celebrate its 38th Open Monuments Day on Sunday 13 September 2026, with a programme that puts not only historic buildings but also the people who care for them in the spotlight. Under the theme ‘In good hands’, visitors can explore monuments across the city and its districts while meeting the volunteers, residents and organisations helping to preserve Antwerp’s heritage.
All participating locations are free to visit, although some require advance booking. The full programme is now available at openmonumentendagantwerpen.be.
Heritage in good hands
The 2026 edition highlights the commitment behind Antwerp’s historic buildings. Volunteers, local residents and associations open doors, share stories and help maintain, restore and find new uses for historic sites.
The focus on volunteers is particularly appropriate because 2026 is the Year of the Volunteer. According to the city, many Antwerp monuments continue to exist thanks to the people who care for them and pass their knowledge on to future generations.
Antwerp Mayor Els van Doesburg (N-VA), who is responsible for heritage, said: “Our Antwerp heritage is alive thanks to people who care for it with all their heart and soul. They not only preserve our monuments, but also the stories behind them. That is why, during Open Monuments Day this year, we are putting both our remarkable buildings and their indispensable volunteers in the spotlight. Thanks to their commitment, our heritage is in good hands and continues to live on, today and for future generations.”
From bunkers to harbour cranes
The programme includes both familiar landmarks and less well-known heritage sites throughout greater Antwerp.
Visitors can hear from the volunteers at Filmhuis Klappei, explore the Regelbau 618 communications bunker for the first time, and climb the imposing harbour cranes. The programme also includes a look at the history of the Seamen’s House, formerly the Stella Maris site, and guided tours of the Brouwershuis.
At the Hydraulic Engineering Laboratory, visitors can discover the power of water, while the City Hall opens its doors for walks through the historic heart of Antwerp. The Dry Docks site offers the chance to step aboard its monumental ships.
Elsewhere, visitors can follow in the footsteps of the miller who keeps the Buitenmolen in Berendrecht turning, or meet Houten Clara, the historic mascot of the Maagdenhuis.
The Open Monuments Day website provides descriptions of participating sites, information about their history and architecture, a map for locating nearby venues and practical information about the day.
Admission to all monuments is free, although advance reservations are required at some locations.
Art and museums in Antwerp
- PHOTOS | Behind The Scenes tour of the Antwerp opera house.
- Medieval Antwerp comes to life with archaeological exhibition at Het Steen.
- ANTWERP | ‘Antony Gormley. Geestgrond’ opens at KMSKA as the most comprehensive solo exhibition of the artist in Europe.
- Opera Ballet Vlaanderen unveils ‘À la flamande’ 2026–2027 season.
- ANTWERP | What if colours could sing? Masterpieces by Ensor, Wouters and Schmalzigaugnsor, Wouters and Schmalzigaug’, from 11 April to 30 August 2026.
- RED STAR LINE MUSEUM | ‘Drifting Belgians’, the incredible journey of the ghost walkers, until 30 August 2026.
- ANTWERP | ‘Martial Arts’: MAS exhibition explores the rich world of combat sports and martial traditions.
- REVIEW | ‘The Antwerp Six’ exhibition at the Antwerp fashion museum MoMu.
- ANTWERP | Museum Plantin-Moretus’ ‘Plantin’s Plants’ exhibition until 2 August 2026.
- FOMU 2026 | Carrie Mae Weems, Diane Severin Nguyen, Families, and Tenderly There by Tashattot.
- ANTWERP | M HKA opens new season with exhibition on censorship and artistic resistance.
- ANTWERP | Climb the Cathedral of Our Lady tower.
- ANTWERP | Rubens House appoints two design teams.
- Antwerp’s municipal museums surpass 2 million visitors in 2025.
- ANTWERP | KMSKA schedules ambitious exhibition programme for 2026, featuring international masters such as Antony Gormley, Philip Aguirre y Otegui and Ossip Zadkine.
- Museums of the City of Antwerp look ahead to 2026.
- REVIEW | ‘La ligne de vie’ René Magritte exhibition at Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA).
- 2028 to be Music Year in Antwerp.
- ANTWERP | Museum Mayer van den Bergh opens exhibition ‘Public Favourites’, from Mad Meg to Delft Blue, look at art through other people’s eyes.
- ANTWERP | Graphics Museum De Reede ft. Francisco Goya, Edvard Munch, Félicien Rops and Albrecht Dürer.
- ANTWERP | Rubens Experience and Rubens Garden at Rubenshuis.
- ANTWERP | Innovations in the Middelheim Museum provide a completely new visitor experience.
- A visit of the Flemish Tram and Bus Museum – Vlaams Tram- en Autobusmuseum (VlaTAM) in Antwerp.
- ANTWERP | Discovering queer(ed) art with the Queer Tour at the KMSKA fine arts museum.
- REVIEW | Illusion Antwerpen, an active and photogenic museum.
- Antwerp museums and sports facilities team up with European Disability Card for accessible leisure activities.
- Museum Mayer van den Bergh.
- ANTWERP | Inside Rubens House.
- Museum Plantin-Moretus in Antwerp.
- ANTWERP | Museum Vleeshuis up for restoration.
- BOOK | ‘Antwerp. An Archaeological View on the Origin of the City’ by Tim Bellens.
- Red Star Line Museum.
- Paleis op de Meir.
- DIVA, Antwerp Home of Diamonds.
- ANTWERP | Red Star Line Museum of (e)migration.
