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Museum Butchers’ Hall
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Museum Butchers’ Hall

Under the title ‘Sounds of the City’, Museum Butchers’ Hall brings 800 years of music and dance back to life. With instruments, prints, texts and models, the museum tells the stories of musicians, carillonneurs, opera singers, instrument makers and dancers. The collection opens up the world behind the music.

Sounds of the City
Museum Butchers’ Hall introduces you to the musical past and present of the city, while aiming to be more than just a traditional instrument museum. With the ‘Sounds of the City’, the museum not only displays a varied range of musical instruments, but also lets you hear and experience the music. Music from the street, from the dance houses, from the bell tower, from churches or from concert halls,… The Museum Butchers’ Hall celebrates all sounds.

Music studios and stages
Without instrument makers and scores there is no music, and without a stage there is no audience. That’s why you’ll discover how music printing started and you’ll have a peek inside an instrument workshop and at the opera and concert halls of yesteryear, such as the Almoezenierstheater and the Bourla.

Musical life
‘Sounds of the City’ wants to tell the broad story behind the music. After all, music still plays an important role in the social life of the city. It was used by the church and the army during feasts and parades and it brought not only amusement but also structure to everyday life.

3 reasons why this is worth your visit

  • In Museum Butchers’ Hall you will find several masterpieces from Flemish music history, including the storm clock Orida (from 1316).
  • ‘Sounds of the City’ also allows you to hear how music sounded in the old days.
  • Museum Butchers’ Hall preserves and exhibits one of the most important collections of Antwerp harpsichords in the world.
Vleeshouwersstraat 38, 2000 Antwerpen
Contact details for visitors
http://www.museumvleeshuis.be
Vleeshouwersstraat 38
2000 Antwerpen
Opening hours
Monday - Wednesday: closed
Thursday - Sunday: 10:00-17:00
The museum is also closed on the following holidays: 1 January, 1 May, Ascension Day, 1 November and 25 December

A landmark building
The history of the Butchers’ Hall goes back five hundred years – well into the Middle Ages. Antwerp meat cutters, the oldest trade in the city, used it as their base until after the French Revolution. As well as using the building as a guildhall, they also used the landmark building as a location to sell their meat. Of the remaining butchers’ halls in the Low Lands, this monumental Antwerp building stands out the most. It was built in 1501, at the start of the Antwerp Golden Age, and was commissioned by the butcher’s guild.

1250: second Butchers’ Hall replaces the first
The current Butchers’ Hall replaced the previous building, dating from 1250, which in turn had replaced an even earlier building. The Butchers’ Hall from 1250 was commissioned by the Duke of Brabant at the expense of the city. It likely served as a slaughterhouse, as well as a market hall, and it aimed to monitor the meat trade.

16th century: construction of today’s Butchers’ Hall
At the beginning of the 16th century, the Duke gave permission to build a new Butchers’ Hall. It was fully paid for by the butchers’ guild and was twice the size of the previous building. It was a market hall as well as a guildhall – the back of the ground floor also houses the ‘guild chapel’.

1841: splitting up the Butchers’ Hall
In 1796 the French abolished the guilds and the Butchers’ Hall was sold three years later. The butchers bought their own businesses back and resumed their activities, but on a limited scale. They rented out the main part of the building, and later in 1841 sold it to a wine merchant. As he did not need the entire building, he split it up; the ground and upper floors became warehouses and the first floor was transformed into a theatre hall and painting workshops.

Today
The Butchers’ Hall as we know it today harbours more than five hundred years of history. It is a wonderful example of brick and sandstone architecture. When entering the building, it feels as though you are inside a church, but from the outside, with the turrets and towers, the building is a clear example of secular architecture – which certainly doesn’t make the building any less impressive.

Is Museum Butchers’ Hall easily accessible for people with reduced mobility?
The ground floor is wheelchair accessible. The other floors are only accessible via stone stairs.

How can I listen to the musical instruments on display?
You can do this via your own smartphone. The desk staff will show you how it works. It is best to bring your own headphones or earphones.

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