Brussels works surprisingly well as a family city break. The historic centre is compact, public transport makes the larger attractions easy to reach, and many of the city’s museums are built around interaction rather than long displays that test a child’s patience.
For families staying with us at La Bourse Hotel, there is another advantage: several of the easiest places to visit with children are right outside our part of the city centre.
Grand-Place, Manneken-Pis, the comic murals and chocolate shops can all be explored on foot, while the Atomium, Mini-Europe and other attractions are straightforward trips by metro or train.
Brussels’ official tourism service maintains an extensive programme of family activities in Brussels, ranging from museums and playgrounds to workshops and seasonal events.
For a first family trip, we would put these nine activities near the top of the list.
1. Turn the Historic Centre into a Treasure Hunt
Start with the easiest activity of all: walk.
Grand-Place is only a short walk from our hotel and gives families a good introduction to Brussels without committing to tickets or a fixed schedule.
Instead of asking younger children to admire 17th-century architecture, turn the square into a spotting game. Look for animals and figures on the guild houses, find the Town Hall tower, and see who notices the smallest details first.
The official Brussels family itinerary uses a similar approach, suggesting that children search the Grand-Place façades for features such as the fox and swan. You can find more ideas in the city’s family break itinerary.
From there, continue to Manneken-Pis and through the surrounding pedestrian streets. You can easily add a waffle stop along the way.
Families visiting Brussels for the first time can also use our broader guide to Brussels attractions to group nearby sights together rather than crossing the city several times in one day.
Best for: all ages
Allow: 1–2 hours
2. Discover Belgian Chocolate at Choco-Story
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There are few easier ways to convince children that museums can be enjoyable than taking them to one dedicated to chocolate.
Choco-Story Brussels explores how cocoa travelled from Central America to Europe and eventually became part of Belgium’s culinary identity. The standard visit includes interactive stations, an audio guide, a chocolate-making demonstration and tastings.
The museum recommends allowing around 60 to 90 minutes, according to the official Choco-Story information.
Families with children aged seven and over can go further and book a chocolate-bar workshop. Participants make their own bars, lollipops and chocolate drawings before visiting the museum.
Its central location is another reason we like recommending it to families staying with us. You do not need to organise an entire day around the visit.
Best for: ages 5+
Allow: 1–1.5 hours, longer with a workshop
3. Follow Brussels’ Comic Book Heroes
Tintin, the Smurfs, Lucky Luke and other comic characters are part of Brussels culture, and children do not need to know much about Belgian comics to enjoy finding them around the city.
One option is simply to walk sections of the Comic Strip Route. More than 80 comic murals can now be found around Brussels, turning ordinary streets into an informal outdoor gallery. The city’s guide to Hergé and Brussels is a useful starting point for families interested in Tintin and Belgian comic culture.
For a deeper look, head to the Comic Art Museum, housed in a Victor Horta Art Nouveau building. Its permanent and temporary exhibitions explore Belgian and international comics, their creators and the process behind producing them. The museum is also included among the city’s official visitor attractions.
We particularly like this combination because you can adapt it to the weather. On a sunny day, concentrate on the murals. When Brussels delivers one of its rainy afternoons, move the adventure indoors.
Best for: ages 6+
Allow: 1.5–3 hours
4. Meet the Dinosaurs at the Institute of Natural Sciences
For children who have gone through a dinosaur phase, or never really left one, the Institute of Natural Sciences is an easy recommendation.
Its Dinosaur Gallery contains the famous Bernissart Iguanodons alongside specimens including Diplodocus, Stegosaurus and a Tyrannosaurus rex. The museum describes it as the largest dinosaur gallery in Europe.
There is much more beyond dinosaurs. The permanent exhibitions cover biodiversity, evolution and human development, so older children can comfortably spend several hours here.
It is also one of our stronger wet-weather choices. When a full day of walking through central Brussels no longer looks appealing, a museum where children can stand underneath enormous dinosaur skeletons usually works better.
Best for: ages 4–12
Allow: 2–3 hours
5. Go Inside the Atomium
Children usually notice the Atomium before they know what it is.
Built for the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair, the structure represents an iron unit cell enlarged 165 billion times. Visitors travel between its spheres and tubes while exploring exhibitions and looking across Brussels from above.
The Atomium also provides activities for families, including a digital game aimed at helping younger visitors explore the monument.
From our hotel, this is one attraction where we recommend using public transport rather than treating the journey as part of a city-centre walk.
There is also a good reason to schedule it alongside the next attraction: Mini-Europe is next door.
Best for: ages 5+
Allow: around 2 hours
6. See Europe in Miniature at Mini-Europe
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Combining the Atomium and Mini-Europe makes sense for families because both sit in the Heysel area.
Mini-Europe recreates famous European monuments and landmarks in miniature. Children can move quickly between countries and recognise buildings they have seen in photographs, while adults get considerably more detail from the models than the name “miniature park” might suggest.
The attraction also produces educational material for children, including activity books and resources explaining Europe through age-appropriate exercises.
We would normally give the Atomium and Mini-Europe most of a day rather than squeezing them between several central Brussels sights. It creates a more relaxed schedule and reduces unnecessary journeys.
Best for: ages 4–12
Allow: 2–3 hours
7. Climb Aboard at Train World
Train World is one of the better Brussels attractions for families who want children to interact with what they are seeing.
The museum occupies the historic Schaerbeek railway station and includes locomotives, railway carriages, projections and interactive installations. Visitors can enter historic trains and explore the development of Belgium’s railway system.
Train World specifically encourages visits with the family and runs treasure hunts and activities for children. The museum notes that its large exhibits and audiovisual displays can feel intense for some children under four.
Even the journey can become part of the experience: arrive by train and the theme starts before you enter the museum.
Best for: ages 4+
Allow: 2–3 hours
8. Search for Treasure Beneath Coudenberg Palace
One of the more unusual family activities in Brussels takes place underneath the Royal Quarter.
The archaeological remains of Coudenberg Palace sit below Place Royale, revealing streets, rooms and foundations connected with the former palace of Charles V.
For children aged roughly five to eight, Coudenberg offers an Underground Treasure Hunt. Each child receives equipment including a map, flashlight and puzzles, then completes missions to discover the code that opens a treasure chest. The activity lasts around 60 to 90 minutes.
That format turns an archaeological site into something children actively explore rather than something parents have to explain every few minutes.
Combine Coudenberg with Mont des Arts and Brussels Park for an easy half-day away from the busiest streets around Grand-Place.
Best for: ages 5–10
Allow: 1–1.5 hours
9. Give Younger Kids Time at the Children’s Museum
Families travelling with younger children should consider the Children’s Museum in Ixelles.
It is built around participation. Children are encouraged to experiment, build, climb, create and play rather than move quietly past display cases. Its current 600 m² exhibition space is screen-free and aimed primarily at children from three to twelve, according to Brussels Museums.
Workshops and creative activities are a major part of the experience, and Jadot Park outside provides space for a picnic or additional playtime. Check the Children’s Museum visitor information before going, as opening times are more limited than at many of Brussels’ major attractions.
Best for: ages 3–12
Allow: around 2.5 hours
Which Brussels Family Attractions Should You Choose?
Trying to fit every attraction into one weekend usually makes travelling with children harder, not better.
| If your children love… | Our pick |
| Dinosaurs and animals | Institute of Natural Sciences |
| Trains and machines | Train World |
| Chocolate | Choco-Story |
| Comics and superheroes | Comic Art Museum and murals |
| Hands-on play | Children’s Museum |
| Big landmarks | Atomium |
| Outdoor exploring | Historic centre |
| Games and mysteries | Coudenberg |
| Miniature worlds | Mini-Europe |
For a two-day family trip, we would keep the first day mostly central: Grand-Place, Manneken-Pis, comic murals and Choco-Story, followed by Mont des Arts or Brussels Park if everyone still has energy.
Use the second day for one larger excursion. Atomium plus Mini-Europe works particularly well as a pair. Train World or the Natural Sciences Museum are better choices for families whose children already have a strong interest in trains or dinosaurs.
Getting Around Brussels with Children
Staying centrally removes much of the transport planning. From La Bourse Hotel, families can explore a substantial part of historic Brussels on foot, then use the metro, tram, bus or train for attractions farther away.
Children under six currently travel free on the STIB public transport network without needing a ticket. Other passengers must validate a valid ticket for their journey. You can check the current STIB transport rules before travelling.
With younger children, we recommend planning around areas rather than individual attractions. Three nearby sights with a relaxed lunch between them usually make for a better family day than five attractions spread across Brussels.
Weather should also influence the plan. Keep the Atomium, parks and mural walks for clearer periods and save Train World, the dinosaur galleries, Choco-Story or the Comic Art Museum as reliable indoor alternatives.
Staying in Central Brussels as a Family
Location matters more when travelling with children because every unnecessary journey takes time away from the day.
At La Bourse Hotel, we are opposite the historic Stock Exchange and close to Grand-Place, placing families within walking distance of many central sights. We also offer accommodation for different family sizes, including triple, quintuple and dedicated family rooms. Our largest family room options accommodate up to six guests.
That makes it practical to return to the hotel for a break before dinner rather than keeping tired children out simply because getting back across the city would take too long.
Brussels is at its best with children when you leave some space in the schedule. See the dinosaurs. Eat the chocolate. Hunt for comic murals. Ride out to the Atomium.
Then leave enough time for the unexpected playground, waffle shop, or enormous Smurf in a shop window that suddenly becomes the most important attraction of the entire trip
