Museum of Natural Sciences
The Museum of Natural Sciences of Belgium (French: Muséum des Sciences naturelles de Belgique, Dutch: Museum voor Natuurwetenschappen van België) is a Brussels museum dedicated to natural history. It is a part of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (French: Institut royal des Sciences naturelles de Belgique (IRSNB), Dutch: Koninklijk Belgisch Instituut voor Natuurwetenschappen (KBIN)).
Entrance to the Museum of Natural Sciences | |
Interactive fullscreen map | |
| Established | 1846 |
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| Location | Rue Vautier / Vautierstraat 29, B-1000 City of Brussels, Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium |
| Coordinates | 50°50′13″N 4°22′34″E |
| Type | Natural history museum |
| Collection size | 38,000,000 specimens |
| Visitors |
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| Director | Michel Van Camp |
| Employees | 390 |
| Public transit access | Train: Brussels-Luxembourg |
| Website | Official website |
The Dinosaur Hall of the museum is the world's largest museum hall completely dedicated to dinosaurs. Its most important pieces are 30 fossilised Iguanodon skeletons, which were discovered in 1878 in Bernissart, Belgium. Another famous piece is the Ishango bone, which was discovered in 1960 by Jean de Heinzelin de Braucourt in the Belgian Congo. The museum also houses a research department and a public exhibit department.
The museum is located at 29, rue Vautier/Vautierstraat, in Leopold Park, close to the European institutions. This site is served by Brussels-Luxembourg railway station.