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Muséum des Sciences naturelles / institut Royal des Sciences naturelles

The Museum of Natural Sciences is Belgium's national natural history museum. It is located in Brussels in the Leopold Park, not far from the European Parliament buildings. 

Several permanent rooms are worth a visit:

  • Dinosaur gallery with a whole herd of iguanodons
  • Mosasaur Hall; some samples of a unique collection in the world
  • Gallery of Evolution
  • Gallery of Man: our evolution, our body
  • Hall of minerals, crystals, precious stones, etc. 
  • 250 years of natural sciences" room, where the Museum looks back in the mirror and analyses its own history
  • Biodivercity room: all the key concepts of biodiversity, seen through the medium we are most familiar with, the city!
  • Living Planet Room

Many temporary exhibitions are also organised.

Strong points

Safety
  • The signage makes it possible to find the way and orient oneself easily.
  • A map of the location is distributed at the reception.
  • There are colour lines to find the way.
Parking
  • It is possible to drop a person off near the entrance.
Identification
  • The building is easy to find.

Points of attention

Staff
  • There is no staff available to direct and guide.
Safety
  • The location is complex and it is difficult to understand its organisation.

The number of private parking spaces is limited and secured with a barrier. 

There are 2 reserved parking spaces for PRMs, close to the entrance.

Strong points

Parking
  • There is at least 1 reserved parking space less than 100 metres from the entrance.
  • The reserved parking spaces are sufficiently big and horizontal.
  • It is possible to drop a person off near the entrance.
Access road from the car park
  • All the transit areas are sufficiently large.
  • The floor is regular and free of obstacles.
  • The floor is hard.
Access road from the street
  • Most of the transit areas are sufficiently large.
Entrance
  • The entrance is easy to identify.
  • The main entrance is accessible.
  • There is no step in the entrance.
Home
  • The payment device is easy to use.
  • The free space in front of the counter is sufficiently big.
  • The counter is at the correct height.
Horizontal circulation
  • The steps can be bypassed by a well-indicated alternative pathway.
  • The width of the hallways is sufficient.
  • The width of the pathways is sufficient.
  • Most of the transit areas are sufficiently large.
Vertical circulation
  • There is a lift.
  • A sufficiently large lift serves all the floors open to the public.
Exposition
  • The majority of the content of the exhibition is accessible and visible.
  • The majority of the equipment such as tablets or interactive terminals is accessible and can be used.

Points of attention

Adapted sanitary
  • There is an adapted toilet, but it is difficult to use.
  • The toilet is not properly equipped.
  • The space around the toilet seat is too small.

The number of private parking spaces is limited and secured with a barrier. 

There are 2 reserved parking spaces for PRMs, close to the entrance.

Strong points

Parking
  • There is at least 1 reserved parking space less than 50 metres from the entrance.
  • The reserved parking spaces are sufficiently big and horizontal.
  • It is possible to drop a person off near the entrance.
Access road from the car park
  • All the transit areas are sufficiently large.
  • The floor is hard.
Access road from the street
  • The floor is hard.
Entrance
  • The building is easy to identify.
  • The main entrance is accessible.
  • There is no step in the entrance.
Home
  • Seats are available near the reception.
  • Wheelchairs are available.
Horizontal circulation
  • The width of the hallways is sufficient.
Vertical circulation
  • There is a lift.
  • A lift serves all the floors open to the public.
  • There is a grab bar in the lift.
Exposition
  • All the content of the exhibition is accessible.
  • Wheelchairs are available.

Points of attention

Access road from the car park
  • There are no seats along the pathway.
  • There are a few steps, with no handrail, to negotiate.
Access road from the street
  • There are no seats along the pathway.
Horizontal circulation
  • There is a staircase with more than 6 steps to negotiate.
  • There are not enough seats along the pathway.
Vertical circulation
  • The staircases are not secure.
  • The width of the lift door is between 80 and 85 cm.
Adapted sanitary
  • There are no grab bars in the toilet.
Exposition
  • There are not enough seats.

Strong points

Access road from the street
  • Guide-lines and tactile tiles facilitate circulation.
  • Circulation is free from obstacles.
Guide dog
  • Assistance dogs are accepted.
Entrance
  • The entrance is located in the logical continuation of the pathway.
Home
  • The reception is located in front of the entrance.
Vertical circulation
  • A lift serves all the floors open to the public.
Exposition
  • Adapted guided tours are organised upon reservation.
  • It is possible to touch exhibits.

Points of attention

Home
  • The reception is located in a noisy environment.
Horizontal circulation
  • There is at least one non-secured step in the logical pathway.
  • There is at least one non-secured ramp in the logical pathway.
Vertical circulation
  • The staircases are not secured by warning tiles at their top.
Exposition
  • Only a small part of the exhibition content is adapted (touch, smell, hearing).

Strong points

Access road from the street
  • Guide-lines and tactile tiles are present and facilitate circulation.
  • Circulation is free from obstacles.
Entrance
  • The entrance is located in the logical continuation of the pathway.
Home
  • The reception is located in front of the entrance.
Horizontal circulation
  • Guide-lines in contrasting colour facilitate circulation.
Vertical circulation
  • A lift serves all the floors.
Exposition
  • Adapted guided tours are organised upon reservation.

Points of attention

Home
  • There is no reference person to welcome the persons with special needs.
  • The reception is in a noisy environment.
Horizontal circulation
  • Some glass walls in the pathway are not secured by a contrasting visual marking.
  • There is a blinding lighting through the floor in a part of the pathway.
  • There is at least one non-secured step in the logical pathway.

Strong points

Entrance
  • The building is easy to find.
  • The opening hours are displayed next to the door.
Home
  • The reception is open, well lit and allows lip reading.
  • The reception is easy to find and close to the entrance.
  • The rates are displayed in the reception.
Exposition
  • The displayed content is mainly visual.
  • A visit in Belgian French sign language is available upon prior request.
  • The lighting is sufficient and continuous all through the visit.

Strong points

Entrance
  • The building is easy to find.
  • The opening hours are displayed next to the door.
Home
  • The reception is easy to find and close to the entrance.
  • The rates are displayed in the reception.
Light
  • The lighting is sufficient and allows lip reading.
Exposition
  • An adapted visit is available upon prior request .
  • The displayed content is mainly visual.
  • A significant part of the exhibition content is adapted (touch, smell, sight, hearing).

Points of attention

Home
  • Depending on attendance, the reception can be very noisy.

Strong points

Entrance
  • The building is easy to find.
  • The opening hours are displayed next to the door.
Home
  • The reception is easy to find and close to the entrance.
Vertical circulation
  • The floors of the building are well marked.
Exposition
  • The exhibition is varied (touch, smell, sight, hearing).

Points of attention

Home
  • Sometimes, the reception is very noisy.
Exposition
  • A part of the exhibition is in the dark.
Access-i vous informe sur l'accessibilité de ce lieu, de par les données relevées sur place, à un instant T. Les modifications éventuelles après la visite d'Access-i relèvent de la responsabilité du gestionnaire.