Located in the monumental attic, this interactive audiovisual presentation uses music, light, and hands-on tables to bring Memling’s paintings closer to visitors. Access is included with museum admission. Suitable for ages 7+.
Access: Included
How to visit Museum Sint-Janshospitaal
- One entry ticket: Get admission to the museum and its permanent collection, including Hans Memling’s works and contemporary art.
- Self-guided visit: Move through the historic hospital at your own pace, without a fixed guided-tour schedule.
- Memling focus: See major works by Hans Memling, including the St Ursula Shrine and St John Altarpiece.
- More than art: Your ticket also covers the 17th-century pharmacy and its herb garden.
- Closer to Memling: The attic’s interactive audiovisual experience is included and is suitable for visitors aged 7+.
- For children: The Children’s Hospital play area is available from age 2.5, while Sam’s Secret audio tour starts at age 6.
- Accessibility: Wheelchairs, lifts, folding chairs, resting points, tactile resources, text-based audio, and sensory kits are available.
What to expect at Museum Sint-Janshospitaal
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Enter a 12th-century hospital
Begin inside one of Europe’s oldest preserved hospital buildings. The former care complex combines medieval architecture with a museum presentation focused on healthcare, art, hospitality, and the people connected to the site.
Meet Hans Memling
The museum houses a major collection of works by Hans Memling, including the St Ursula Shrine, St John Altarpiece, and Triptych with the Adoration of the Magi. His works remain closely connected to the hospital where they were originally commissioned.
See old and contemporary art
The collection places Memling and other historic works alongside contemporary pieces by artists including Berlinde De Bruyckere and Patricia Piccinini. The contrast connects the hospital’s history with more recent perspectives on care and the human body.
Visit the attic and pharmacy
Head upstairs to the Closer to Memling Experience, where hands-on tables, music, and light create an interactive introduction to Memling’s work. Your museum ticket also includes the authentic 17th-century pharmacy and herb garden.
Make time for the children’s spaces
Children aged 2.5+ can play in the Children’s Hospital, while visitors aged 6+ can request Sam’s Secret audio tour. The Closer to Memling Experience is suitable from age 7.
Visit at your own pace
The standard ticket is self-guided, so there is no fixed route or tour schedule to follow. Plan around the museum’s 9:30am–5pm opening hours and allow enough time for the art, pharmacy, attic, and children’s areas.
Things to know before booking your Museum Sint-Janshospitaal tickets
- What’s included: Your ticket includes entry to Museum Sint-Janshospitaal, the Memling collection, contemporary artworks, the 17th-century hospital pharmacy, herb garden, and Closer to Memling Experience.
- Family access: Children under 13 enter free, while the Children’s Hospital play area is suitable for ages 2.5+. Sam’s Secret audio tour is available for children aged 6+.
- Closer to Memling: The attic experience is included with your ticket and is suitable for visitors aged 7+. It uses interactive tables, music, and light to introduce Memling’s work.
- Accessibility: The museum offers wheelchair access, an accessible lift, free folding chairs, wheelchairs, and resting points. Tactile models, descriptive audio, text-based audio, and sensory kits are also available.
- What to bring: Keep your e-ticket ready when you arrive, as it is required for entry. Free-ticket holders must still make a separate reservation where applicable.
- Opening hours: The museum is open from 9:30am to 5pm and is closed on Mondays. It closes earlier on 24 and 31 December and has special hours on Ascension Day.
Explore the Museum Sint-Janshospitaal
Closer to Memling Experience
17th-century hospital pharmacy
The former hospital pharmacy retains its authentic 17th-century interior. Its adjoining herb garden recalls the plants once used by the sister-apothecaries to prepare medicines. A separate pharmacy ticket exists, but admission is included with your museum ticket.
Access: Included
Children’s space
A dedicated play space lets younger visitors interact with the museum’s healthcare theme through role-play, books, medical props, dolls, bandages, and X-rays.
Access: Included; suitable from age 2.5
Museum Sint-Janshospitaal must-see artworks
St Ursula Shrine by Hans Memling (1482–1489)
Commissioned for Sint-Janshospitaal, this gilded reliquary combines Memling’s painted panels with sculpture, architecture, and scenes from Saint Ursula’s legend.
Plan your visit to Museum Sint-Janshospitaal
Opening hours: Museum Sint-Janshospitaal is open from 9:30am to 5pm and closed on Mondays. It closes at 4pm on 24 and 31 December, at 12:30pm on Ascension Day, and remains closed on 25 December and 1 January.
Best time to visit: The earliest and latest opening hours are generally quieter. Musea Brugge notes that these periods can suit visitors who prefer fewer crowds, although quieter conditions are not guaranteed.
Full opening hours →
Museum Sint-Janshospitaal is located at Mariastraat 38, 8000 Bruges, in the historic centre near the Church of Our Lady and Bruges’ Museum Quarter.
Getting there
- Train: Bruges railway station is 1.1–1.3 km away, taking around 12–15 minutes on foot via Katelijnestraat and Mariastraat.
- Bus: Brugge O.L.V. Kerk is the nearest stop, around 1–2 minutes from the museum on foot.
- Parking: Pandreitje is the nearest official car park, approximately 400–600 m from the museum, or 5–8 minutes away.
- Cycling: Bicycle parking is available at the museum, while Bruges’ compact centre makes cycling from the station convenient.
- Main museum entrance: Enter through the museum entrance on Mariastraat 38. Online visitors should have their e-ticket ready for admission. Visitors requiring assistance can request help from museum staff.
- Ticket redemption: Keep your e-ticket available when arriving at the museum. Visitors entitled to free admission must still make a separate reservation for each museum where required.
- Security check: The museum does not publish a separate security waiting time for standard entry. Follow staff instructions regarding bags and entry procedures.
- Wi-Fi: Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the museum, helping visitors stay connected during their visit.
- Toilets: Free, accessible toilets are available within the museum for convenient use during your visit.
- Baby facilities: A dedicated nappy-changing table is available for visitors travelling with babies and young children.
- Strollers: The museum is stroller accessible, making it easier to visit with babies and young children.
- Mobility: A wheelchair-accessible lift connects the museum’s floors, supporting visitors with reduced mobility throughout their visit.
- Resting: Free folding chairs and designated resting points are available for visitors who need regular breaks.
- Shop: The museum shop offers books, gifts, and products inspired by the museum’s collections.
- Wheelchair access: Accessible routes and an assisted entrance support wheelchair users throughout the museum and its main visitor areas.
- Lift: A spacious, wheelchair-accessible lift connects the museum’s floors, providing convenient access between different exhibition areas.
- Wheelchairs: Wheelchairs are available for visitors who require mobility assistance during their museum visit.
- Resting: Free folding chairs and designated resting points are available throughout the museum for visitors needing regular breaks.
- Visual accessibility: Tactile resources help visitors with visual impairments engage with the museum and its collections more independently.
- Hearing accessibility: Audio resources are supported by text-based alternatives, helping visitors with hearing impairments access information.
- Neurodiverse visitors: Sensory kits are available for neurodiverse visitors who may benefit from additional sensory support during their visit.
- E-ticket: Keep your e-ticket readily available, as you may need to present it when entering the museum.
- Staff instructions: Follow museum staff instructions while visiting the historic building and its exhibition spaces.
- Assistance dogs: Registered assistance dogs are welcome with identification cards, while other pets are not permitted inside.
- Age requirements: Children’s Hospital is suitable for ages 2.5+, Sam’s Secret for 6+, and Closer to Memling for 7+.
Visitor tips
- Start with Memling: See the major Memling works before heading upstairs to the Closer to Memling Experience.
- Save time for the pharmacy: The 17th-century pharmacy is included with museum admission, so there is no need to buy a separate ticket.
- Use the children’s options: Pick up Sam’s Secret at the ticket desk if visiting with children aged 6+.
- Choose quieter hours: Early and late opening periods are generally calmer, although Musea Brugge does not guarantee low crowds.
- Request accessibility aids: Ask at the ticket desk for sensory kits, folding chairs, wheelchairs, or relevant audio and tactile resources.
- Allow time for the attic: Closer to Memling is more than a standard gallery, so factor its interactive elements into your route.
Frequently asked questions about Museum Sint-Janshospitaal tickets
Tickets include museum entry, the Memling collection, contemporary art, Closer to Memling, the pharmacy, and herb garden.
Yes. Museum Sint-Janshospitaal tickets include access to the authentic 17th-century pharmacy and herb garden.
Yes. The Closer to Memling Experience is included with museum admission and is suitable for visitors aged 7 and above.
Yes. Children under 13 receive free admission. The Children’s Hospital is suitable from age 2.5, while Sam’s Secret starts at age 6.
Yes. The museum has accessible routes, an accessible lift, wheelchairs, folding chairs, and resting points. Staff can assist with the entrance.
Yes. The standard entry ticket is self-guided. Separate guided tours are available for visitors who want expert commentary on the collection and hospital history.
The museum is open from 9:30am to 5pm and closed on Mondays, with special holiday hours on selected dates.
The museum is at Mariastraat 38 in central Bruges, close to the Church of Our Lady and other Museum Quarter attractions.
Prioritize Hans Memling’s St Ursula Shrine, St John Altarpiece, Adoration of the Magi, and Diptych of Maarten van Nieuwenhove.
