The suspended aircraft
Dozens of planes in one glazed hall, some of them very rare.
Marcelloo โ CC BY-SA 3.0 ยท Marc Ryckaert (MJJR) โ CC BY 3.0 ยท Iepenburger1 โ CC BY-SA 4.0 ยท Miguel Discart โ CC BY-SA 2.0
In certain periods and on certain days yes, which makes it one of the best free options in Brussels. But the policy changes, so check the official site before going rather than relying on older information โ the difference between free and paid is significant here.
The aviation hall is worth it even without an interest in military history, being visually striking in itself. The other sections are more specialised. With limited time, go for the aviation hall and the arch and leave; that alone is worthwhile.
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A vast military museum inside the arcades of the Cinquantenaire park, covering the history of armies in the Belgian lands from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century. Its strongest part is the aviation hall: a wide glazed space hung with dozens of aircraft from the First World War through the Cold War, some of them very rare. Seeing them suspended overhead in a single volume is a visual effect that is hard to convey. The museum also covers both world wars in detail, a subject that concerns Belgium directly: it was a principal battleground in both and was occupied in each. A practical point: entry is free in certain periods, which makes it one of the best things to do in Brussels at no cost. But it is very large and some sections are older in presentation than others, so be selective rather than trying to cover it whole. The famous arch over the park can be climbed from inside the museum for the view.
Dozens of planes in one glazed hall, some of them very rare.
Both world wars concern the country directly: a battlefield and occupied in each.
The climb up the Cinquantenaire arch is made from inside the museum.
Cinquantenaire park, Brussels