The 360 cinema
Inside the European chamber.
LeJC — CC BY-SA 3.0 · FrDr — CC BY 4.0 · FrDr — CC BY 4.0 · FrDr — CC BY 4.0
The Parlamentarium is the European Parliament's visitors' centre — Europe's largest parliamentary visitors' centre, and entirely free. It explains interactively how the European Union works: from the wreckage of the world war to unity, the role of Parliament and its members, and how the laws touching 450 million citizens are made. The experience runs on a personal multilingual handset: a 360-degree cinema placing you in the chamber, a giant interactive floor map of Europe you move over with a trolley revealing stories from every region, and a role-play game for groups in which you negotiate legislation. Designed for families and schools as much as adults. On the Place du Luxembourg in the European quarter — combine it with the free House of European History next door, and a walk among the EU buildings. Bags are searched.
Inside the European chamber.
A trolley revealing stories from every region of the Union.
Negotiate a European law as an MEP.
Place du Luxembourg 100, 1050 Brussels
Royal Belgian Institute of Natural SciencesBrussels's natural history museum, best known for its dinosaur hall: a group of 3 minutes walk4.6
House of European HistoryThe House of European History is a free museum opened by the European Parliament3 minutes walk4.4
Royal Palace of BrusselsThe Royal Palace is the official palace of the King of the Belgians — not his re13 minutes walk4.6
Charlier MuseumA nineteenth-century private house turned museum, bringing three significant Bel14 minutes walk4.2
Art & History MuseumThe Art & History Museum is among Europe's largest and most varied museums, in t14 minutes walk4.3Yes if you want to understand how the Europe you are visiting is run — and it is free and designed to engage rather than lecture, with children enjoying the map and cinema. An hour suffices. The European quarter itself (the Berlaymont, the Parliament) is worth a walk, with the free House of European History in Leopold Park.