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Atomium

Museums ·Brussels ·Open now
4.3130K
#1Museums in Belgium#1Museums in BrusselsMost reviewed in Brussels
  • Good on a rainy day

Adult (18y - 64y) EUR 17 · Senior (≥ 65y) EUR 15 · Student EUR 9

Tickets from EUR 17
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About

Atomium in Brussels: a museum and art centre inside a 102-metre model of an iron crystal, built for Expo 58 on the Heysel plateau in Laeken.

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Atomium

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Why go

  • The panorama from the top sphere over Brussels, and on clear days as far as Antwerp
  • The lift, Europe's fastest when built: 22 people to the top in 23 seconds
  • The permanent Expo 58 exhibition, with small models of the fair's pavilions
  • The nine spheres, lit by 2,970 lights at night
  • Digital-art exhibitions, which fill more than half the visit

Plan your visit

Prices

Adult (18y - 64y)EUR 17
Senior (≥ 65y)EUR 15
StudentEUR 9
Child (> 115cm - 17y)EUR 9
Child (≤ 115cm)Free

From the venue's website · checked 27 Oct 2026

Opening hours

Today10:00 – 18:00Show all
Monday10:00 – 18:00
Tuesday10:00 – 18:00
Wednesday10:00 – 18:00
Thursday10:00 – 18:00
Friday10:00 – 18:00
Saturday10:00 – 18:00
Sunday10:00 – 18:00

Don't miss

  • Escalators in the slanted tubesAmong the longest in Europe, the longest at 35 metres.The slanted tubes between the spheres On the map
  • The named spheresThe central sphere honours André Waterkeyn, a side sphere Ilya Prigogine and the lowest François Englert.The central, a side and the lowest sphere On the map
  • Light points on the spheresThey flash in sequence along a meridian, symbolising an electron circling its core.On the spheresAt night On the map
  • Interior light fittingsDesigner Ingo Maurer drew the building's interior light fittings.Inside the building On the map

Know before you go

  • Open Monday to Sunday, 10:00–18:00.
  • Closed for annual maintenance from 18 January to 5 February 2027.
  • It may close earlier than usual for exceptional reasons.
  • Tickets are sold at the cash desk or online through its own website.
  • An online ticket skips the ticket office line, but not the queue to enter the building.
  • A booked time slot gives no priority at the entrance, because of the high number of visitors.
  • The three tall outer spheres at the top are closed to visitors for safety reasons.
  • Groups must give notice of their visit at least three weeks in advance.
  • Visit bookings, including guided tours, are made by email or by phone at +32 2 475 47 75.
  • Groups of 20 or more who visit the Design Museum Brussels afterwards must notify it by email.

What's inside

  • Nine spheres, each 18 metres across, are linked by steel tubes that hold stairs, escalators and a lift.
  • The tubes between the spheres are 3.3 metres wide.
  • Base sphere: a permanent exhibition looking back at the fifties.
  • Top sphere: a restaurant.
  • Middle sphere: a snack bar.
  • Temporary science-themed exhibitions fill one sphere, which is often closed between them.
  • Three lower corner spheres are open to visitors, and each open sphere has two main floors.
  • Children's sphere: only for touring school groups, who can stay overnight there.

With kids

  • Children 115 cm or shorter enter for free.
  • Children over 115 cm and up to 17 years pay the child ticket of 9 EUR.

Tips for your visit

  • The busiest time is 11am to 3pm. A morning or later-afternoon visit is calmer, and the flow tends to drop from 5pm.
  • Holiday periods bring heavy crowds and longer waits.
  • The Atomium's Facebook and Google pages show how many visitors are in the building, in real time.
  • The ticket also covers the Design Museum Brussels, 150 m away.
  • Mini-Europe, also 150 m away, can be added with a combined ticket that also covers Belgian Beer World Experience.

Tours and audio guides

Audio guide
Several languages, including English, French and Dutch
Visio-guide
For deaf and hard-of-hearing visitors
Guided tour
Led by professional certified guides Reveals the building's secrets.

Interesting facts6

1/6

  1. Its name joins atom and aluminium, the metal first used on its spheres.

    Atomium - Wikipedia
  2. 134 metres

    It was first planned at 134 metres, but cut to 102 metres for air-traffic safety.

    Atomium - Wikipedia

  3. Some of the original aluminium triangles were sold as souvenirs.

    Atomium - Wikipedia

  4. A teaching nuclear reactor, AGN-211-P, was once housed under the structure.

    Atomium - Wikipedia
  5. 2013

    In 2013 CNN named it the most bizarre monument on the continent.

    Atomium - Wikipedia
  6. 1958

    Its weight rose from about 2,400 tonnes in 1958 to about 2,500 after the 2006 renovation.

    Atomium - Wikipedia

Shorts

History

The Atomium was the centrepiece of Expo 58, the world fair held in Brussels. It stands on the Heysel plateau in Laeken, where the fair took place. Engineer André Waterkeyn conceived it, and architects André and Jean Polak built it. It was meant as a symbol of the atomic age and the peaceful use of nuclear energy. The structure was designed to last six months. It was kept standing because it had become popular. Its spheres were planned in aluminium rather than steel, which was unusual. Aluminium was likely chosen because it resisted corrosion better than steel.

  1. January 1955Engineer André Waterkeyn first presented the project.
  2. March 1956Construction began; the structure was finished less than a month before Expo 58 opened.
  3. 1958Expo 58 opened, with the Atomium as its centrepiece.
  4. 2004–2006The building was closed to the public for renovation, and its aluminium skin was replaced with stainless steel.
  5. 14 February 2006Officially reopened by then-Prince Philippe.

Sources: Atomium - Wikipedia · Brussels/Heysel - Wikivoyage (see) · Atomium · Opening hours · Atomium · Atomium - Wikipedia · Atomium - Wikipedia · Atomium - Wikipedia · checked 17 Oct 2026

Where
Place de l'Atomium 1, Brussels

Plan from here: A day out →

Questions and answers

How much does a ticket to the Atomium cost?

Adult tickets for ages 18 to 64 cost 17 EUR, senior tickets for 65 and over cost 15 EUR, and student tickets cost 9 EUR.

What are the Atomium opening hours?

The Atomium is open every day from 10:00 to 18:00. It closes for annual maintenance from 18 January to 5 February 2027, and it may close earlier for exceptional reasons.

Can I buy Atomium tickets online?

Yes. Tickets are sold online through the Atomium's own website as well as at the cash desk.

Is the Atomium free for children?

Children 115 cm or shorter enter free. Children over 115 cm and up to 17 years pay the 9 EUR child ticket.

How do I get to the Atomium?

The Atomium is reached by the Heysel / Heizel stop. Its address is Square de l'Atomium, on the Heysel plateau in Laeken, Brussels.

Is the Atomium accessible for visitors with reduced mobility?

A lift serves the top sphere. Stairs and partly escalators link the other spheres, so access between them is partial.

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