MSK, the Museum voor Schone Kunsten, is the city's great art museum, set in a neoclassical building in the Citadel Park, a short tram ride or walk from the centre. Its collection runs from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century and is strongest in Flemish painting, with works by Hieronymus Bosch, Rubens and many of the artists of the Ghent and Flemish schools, plus modern Belgian art. In this restoration year it has an extra draw: the upper panels of the Ghent Altarpiece are in a glass-fronted studio at the museum, where restorers from the Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage work on them from Tuesday to Friday, and the panels are placed on view at weekends. The museum is a calm, rewarding stop, particularly on a wet November day, and it works well as the art half of a Ghent itinerary that also includes the cathedral and its visitor centre.
The museum opened in its current building in 1904 and was designed from the start as a place to show art in good light. The galleries trace the story of painting in the Low Countries, from medieval panels to the Flemish primitives, through the Baroque of Rubens and his circle, and on to the realists and symbolists of the nineteenth century and the modern period. Smaller rooms are kept for temporary exhibitions, and the programme changes through the year, so it is worth checking what is on before you go.
The restoration studio is the unusual feature of this year. The altarpiece's third restoration phase, on the upper register of the open panels, is being carried out at the museum, and the work can be watched through glass from Tuesday to Friday. The restorers are absent on weekends, public holidays and between Christmas and the first days of January.
The museum's presentation of the project runs to the end of 2026, and the conservation body expects the work to finish in spring 2027, when the altarpiece returns to the cathedral. The cathedral visitor centre shows the restored exterior panels and five lower panels at the same time.
Practical points
The museum is open Tuesday to Friday from half past nine to half past five, and on weekends and school holidays from ten to six, and it is closed on Mondays. On the first Thursday of each month from September to June it stays open until ten in the evening.
Closing times shift on 24 and 31 December, and it is closed on 25 and 26 December and 1 and 2 January. Check the museum's site for current exhibitions and ticket prices, because tickets may be combined with special shows. A Museum Pass gives free entry.
What to expect
The experience
A self-guided gallery visit, with a glass-fronted restoration studio for the Ghent Altarpiece upper panels and changing exhibitions.
Best time
A Tuesday to Friday morning if you want to watch the restorers, or the first Thursday evening for late opening.
How long
Two hours for the highlights, three with the studio and a temporary show.
Tips
Do not plan it for a Monday, check which exhibitions are running and take the tram or walk through the Citadel Park from the centre.
Quick picks
- Best for
- Art lovers and anyone curious about how a famous altarpiece is restored.
- Families
- Older children may enjoy the studio and the famous paintings, but this is a quiet museum for younger ones.
- Couples
- A slow gallery visit followed by a coffee near the park.
- Pair with
- St Bavo's Cathedral and its visitor centre, and S.M.A.K. nearby.
- Time needed
- Allow two to three hours.
Good questions
Can I watch the Ghent Altarpiece being restored?+
Yes, the restorers work in a glass-fronted studio at the museum from Tuesday to Friday. They are absent on weekends, holidays and from 24 December to 2 January, when the panels are shown instead.
When is MSK closed?+
On Mondays, on 25 and 26 December and on 1 and 2 January. It also closes early on 24 and 31 December.
Where is the museum?+
In the Citadel Park, south of the old centre, a short tram ride or a walk of about twenty to thirty minutes from the main sights.
What is in the collection?+
Flemish and Dutch painting from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century, with works by Bosch, Rubens and many Ghent artists, plus modern Belgian art.
Is there a late opening night?+
Yes, from September to June the museum stays open until ten in the evening on the first Thursday of the month. This is a quieter time to visit.
