MAS - Museum aan de Stroom

MAS Museum – A Modern Museum with Great Views The MAS Museum is a big and modern building in Antwerp, close to the river. It looks very cool with red bricks and glass windows stacked like boxes. Inside, there are interesting exhibitions about Antwerp, the port, world cultures, and art. One of the best parts is the rooftop, where you can go up for free and see amazing views of the whole city!

A must-visit cultural landmark in Antwerp. the building itself is architectural marvel and worth the visit. Inside, you'll find a thoughtfully curated and unique collection that spans diverse themes — from local maritime history to global trade, and even an impressive section on World War II that offers powerful insight on the city’s history under occupation. What sets MAS apart is the way it connects Antwerp’s local story to global narratives. The exhibits are visually engaging and often interactive, making the experience enriching and accessible. Don’t miss the free rooftop panorama terrace — it offers stunning 360° views of the city and port, perfect for a relaxing end to your visit. Whether you're into history, architecture, or just looking for a great viewpoint, MAS delivers on all fronts.

A great museum. The building itself is an architectural masterpiece. There are 10 floors, with the tenth floor being a rooftop terrace, offering impressive 360 degree panoramic views of the city. There are escalators and lifts going to most floors. Tickets are reasonably-priced and reception staff are friendly and helpful. I turned up without a ticket and was able to buy one without needing to queue up. You can't take your bags/luggage with you, but there are lockers for customers to use, free of charge. You just need to get a token from reception. There are also customer toilets. There are many interesting artifacts across the floors, and most have lots of detailed information to read. I am giving 4 stars instead of 5 because I found the security guards (who are on all floors) to be really unfriendly and intimidating. Other than that, a great museum and well worth a visit.

Great museum with a gorgeous roof terrace! Multiple exhibits focused on different facets of Antwerp. The building is also a brilliant bit of architecture. Highly recommend a visit if you’re in Antwerp, along with a meal across the street at Wolf!

In all fairness I visit all museums but I still think this one is quite special in its own way. Come with low to medium expectations and let it surprise you! Also you get the best views of Antwerpen from the roof top

I didn't get a chance to go inside because the museum closed by the time we got there, but its impressive even from the outside. The building sits in the middle of the canal and is perfectly positioned to glow in the evening golden hour light. The staircase design of the windows, the wavy glass and left hand accent sculptures over the entire brick facade are very unique. I was window shopping the giftstore on the ground floor and was fascinated by the cool art, toys and gifts they had. Eager to see what's inside the next time I visit.

The museum building itself is eye-catching even from the distance. The subjects these 7 floor exhibition area covers is vast. You will see exquisite treasury pieces, paintings, furnitures, memorable personal belongings, ship models, etc. with historical mark of not only Antwerp or Belgium’s but also the world. I like the style of the wall text, which poses questions, and allow you to think before visit, and then look for answers. The interactive media tells ordinary people’s stories which resonate with the audience. The roof top panorama view is certainly the highlight of the journey. If you are a history lover, half day is not enough.

Although it’s not even 20 years old, the MAS Museum has already become a true icon of Antwerp. Spanning nine floors, each level offers a unique exhibition with interactive elements, audio guides, and engaging displays. Entry is €10 (as of 2025), and you could easily spend several hours exploring the variety of themes and stories throughout the building. One absolute highlight is the rooftop – free to access and offering a stunning panoramic view of the city. Whether you're into architecture, history, or just looking for a great view, MAS is a must-visit.

We had a wonderful visit here. The building looks like a modern art work and has great views from the terrace. The museum has 9 levels and each level has a different exhibit. They were all super interesting and educational mostly focused on Antwerp, it's connection to the world, it's history and some other unique exhibits as well. My favorite part was catching Tintin and Snowy in one of the rooms.

This is an update. On my recent visit to Antwerp and the MAS Art Museum,I also appreciated the "Antwerp Ala Carte"permanent exhibit.I especially liked the marvelous depictions of Antwerp by the following Flemish and Belgian Painters;Jan Wildens("View of Antwerp"),Abel Grimmer("Antwerp Polder"),Hendrick Van Mindenhout("Fish Market In Antwerp"),Joachim Beukelaer("Vegetable Sellers"),Erasmus de Bie("Meir in Antwerp"),and Pieter Van Braedel("Ox Market in Antwerp").The"City At War"permanent exhibit was very informative with its plethora of information about life in Antwerp,during World War Two and the German Occupation of Belgium,as well as the persecution of Antwerp's Jewish Population at that time.The day that I spent at the MAS was very enriching.

*Review is merely based on the rooftop* As the note mentions above, I did not go through any of the exhibitions, instead high tailed it to the rooftop for views of the city. The location is not ideal for those who want an easy walking distance between various attractions in the city, as it lies on the outskirts. The Museum aan de Stroom or as most refer to it, the MAS is quite the exquisite building by itself. Designed by a brilliant architect, who defied the standard high rise style building, instead going for more of an artistic view. The building reminds me of a lopsided Lego build in my childhood, but is structurally sound. The windows are one that I have never seen before in a building, a curvy design on each level as you ascend to the top. Now you can pay for a ticket to see each level of the museum and its exhibit, but I opted for a ride to the top to take in the beautiful views on the rooftop. I was not alone as many tend to do the same, not sure how the museum really makes any money since it seems most do the same. Either way, well worth a visit if you would like to catch some great views of the city!

What attracted to me this museum was the impressive looking building and the ability to see an amazing view of Antwerp from the top. A lot of people come here simply to check out the view on top but I did take some time to see the exhibits inside the museum. The MAS has a collection of of exhibits that feature Antwerp's past, present and future. Lots of focus on the city and the cultural significance of the area. While I did check out all the rooms on all nine floors, some of the top floors weren't in English for me to read. Once you reach the top of 9 floors, you will be treated to the best view in Antwerp, an amazing 360 view. You can see all the historic buildings as well as the newer ones across the river. The MAS is a sight to see, even if you don't bother to go inside, at least check the building out.

What a wonderful building! And on top of that, the museum is one of the best I've seen as well. Every floor features a general theme (death, power), and the theme is than compared in different cultures. It has a wonderful collection of objects and paintings, while managing not to overload you with too much information. The museum is interactive, and children as well as I (a larger child) will have lots of fun writing down wishes or drawing submarines. Every theme is also led in by a room which is worth mentioning. It sets the general atmosphere with low sound and breathtaking visuals. And there is the panorama of course. On a sunny day, you can see the whole city and the Schelde soaring through it. Like one of the many painting of the city you will see on your visit. A pity my hunger shortened the visit.

The museum gets three stars just for the free access to the roof observation area. There are roughly nine escalators , each one taking you to a floor that has glass walls looking out on an alternate side of the building. Floors four through eight have exhibits. The museum only costs 5Eur if you want to see the exhibits. Note that the restaurant on the top floor is by reservation only and not always open, but there is a cafe on the bottom floor. The only bathroom is also on the bottom floor. The museum has free wifi. There are QR codes you can scan next to many of the items on display for information in four languages. For me personally, it was a downside that none of the display tags or explanations were in English. The exhibits were fantastic , but without knowing what you are looking at snd the history behind it, something is lost. The QR codes provide minimal information. That is one area that would dramatically improve the museum, as many countries speak English as a second language. The panoramic view from the roof is spectacular. The day I went was cloudy , but I could see for miles in very direction.

Did not go into the museum...BUT you can go to the top for free & enjoy a beautiful view of Antwerp. There was also one free exhibition which was nice & little displays on each floor which we enjoyed (a massive Buddha).

The MAS does not need an introduction. It is simply astoundingly modern and cool, and unlike any museum I have ever been to. This museum is now the pride of Antwerp, and it very well should be. If you pay close attention, you will see that the façade of the building is covered in little hands. They're called Antwerpen hands, and are the symbol of the city. We were so glad that we had the Antwerpen city card, because we were able to get in right away and avoid the big line-up. Otherwise, 8 Euros for adults. My favorite exhibit was the 'Masterpieces of the MAS' where they were showcasing the masterpieces of artists such as Jan van Eyck, Jean Fouquet, Peter Paul Rubens, and Adriaen Collaert to name a few. On the other floors, there are the permanent exhibits. Make your way to the top for nice views of the city and pier. Also make sure to pay a visit to the MAS store (located in a separate building right outside the main entrance) for some awesome souvenirs. I take my MAS umbrella with me everywhere now.

The MAS museum is truly an Antwerp gem. Even if you don't visit the expos, just come here to enjoy the view and the beautiful surroundings of MAS. Climb the 'vertical boulevard' which is nothing more than the escalators all the way to the top, taking you to the massive windows on each floor. On the top of MAS you get a great view of Antwerp. MAS is located next to river Schelde and between the docks and their pretty white boats. If you're here, also get a drink in STORM café or get a souvenir from the MAS shop. Closeby are Broer Bretel for coffee and Sint-Felix for lunch or dinner.

Today , we've visited the MAS (museum at te stream) to discover the exposition of 350 years Art Academy. Worth seeing, do profit of the other expos on Antwerp, Live and Dead, and if you go in the week, do not hesitate to enjoy the gastronomic restaurant on the 9th floor.

You know something is amazing if you go back twice, on one trip. Debated going here today (it's kinda far from where I'm staying) and SO glad I did. Not sure if they did not notice me or if it's free but I'm pretty sure it's free. Well, I certainly didn't spend any money here. Going to go back tomorrow and will save time to have a drink at Batavier.

Musea is great, but the guy who work at the lobby should look for another job. No respect and short tempered. Probably has a bad day or his life just sucks. Whatever the reason is, it's the last time i'll come there to visit or study.

Glorious architecture from the outside along with excellent introductory presentations to their exhibits. Beautiful red tiles encircle the building giving way to flowing glass in between each floor. Every time you go up one of the 10 floors you are hit with another amazing vista of the city with a culminating panorama on the roof of the museum. The exhibit themes are great, power & prestige, death, trade. All pertained well to themes in the history of Antwerp. The power exhibit is especially striking because the first room takes images from past and present to show how powerful people and institutions showcase their power and influence the world. Death has an excellent start with a dark winding passage and creepy music. Apart from these introductory elements to the exhibits the rest is less impressive. Overall I was impressed by the visual elements of the architecture and start of the exhibits but the collection was much less thrilling and extensive than I had expected.

"Go to the top of the building and discover the huge mosaic by Luc Tuymans in all its glory. 'Dead Skull' is a skull inlaid with sixteen different types of granite in the forecourt of the museum."

Beautiful architecture and located at one of the popular marinas of Antwerp. The whole neighborhood is going through a gentrification process and there are a couple of nice restaurants in the direct vicinity. But back to the museum ... I would say start at the top floor or even better at the panorama rooftop to get the best view of Antwerp, its harbors and of course the river Schelde. A very nice detail is that they have made circular shaped holes in the glass windows of the deck so you can make unobstructed photo's. Then you work your way down through the permanent expositions of the museum ... life and death ... the use and display of power ... the development of the city and the maritime history. All beautifully displayed and made extra interesting through all kinds of interactive displays with additional information. There is also a temporary ... changing ... exposition for which you have to pay extra. Don't forget to visit the store rooms, where they store thousands of paintings drawings and objects that did not make to the permeant exposition.