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Foto van de museumshop met gevulde winkelrekken © RSLM

In the museum

Is the museum accessible with a wheelchair? Can you visit the tower for free? Is there a museum shop? We do everything we can to make your visit as pleasant and easy as possible. You’ll find all the practical information about the museum and its accessibility here.

Accessible museum

  • The old luggage shed of the Red Star Line shipping company is the entrance to the museum.
  • There you'll find the reception desk and the museum shop. In the shed, you can take the stairs or lift to the Upper Deck, the basement or the tower. On top of the tower, you have a splendid view of the city and the river Scheldt.
  • You can visit the museum shop and the tower without a ticket. However, there may be temporary restrictions.
  • The floor plan and gallery texts are available digitally.

Cloakroom, lockers and toilets

You can safely leave your coat and personal belongings in our cloakroom. Large bags, backpacks and umbrellas are not allowed in the museum. Please use the lockers located in the basement. The lockers operate with a 1-euro coin or a token. You can request a token at the front desk. Visitor toilets are also located in the basement.

For visitors with reduced mobility

  • The museum is fully accessible for people with limited mobility.
  • There are benches available in several exhibition rooms. Portable folding stools are available at the front desk. If you need a break, you are also welcome to use our picnic area on the first floor.
  • In the basement, there is a toilet for visitors with reduced mobility. The access code is ‘2000A’.
  • The Red Star Line Museum is a partner of the European Disability Card project. With this card, your companion can enter for free.

For visitors with visual impairments

  • Guide dogs are welcome in the museum galleries.
  • Your companion is admitted free of charge.
  • Gallery texts are available for people with a visual handicap. Send an email to rsl_balie@antwerpen.be at least 24 hours in advance.

For babies and young children

  • The entire museum is accessible with a stroller.
  • Backpacks carrying a baby or child are not allowed in the museum galleries. Baby slings or carriers are permitted.
  • Changing pads are available in the restrooms (in the basement).
  • In our picnic area on the first floor, you can heat up food, and there are a few high chairs available.
  • Get creative in our picnic area. Draw something or use the Red Star Line Museum coloring pages. You can hang your artwork nicely or take it home.There is also educational toys and a play mat.

Museum shop

Do you want the Red Star Line at home? The museum shop offers a wide range of irresistible items: vintage posters and postcards, pens and paper, books about the history of the Red Star Line and its passengers, souvenirs for young and old. 

Taking pictures

  • Of course, you can take photos in the museum and share them on social media, blogs, and websites for non-commercial purposes. Photography with flashlight is prohibited.
  • Selfie sticks are not allowed.
  • Always ask permission if you want to take professional/commercial photo and audiovisual recordings.

Food and Drinks

Unfortunately, we don't have a museum café, but everyone is welcome upstairs in our Loods at the picnic area. We can't serve drinks, but feel free to take a seat, relax with your own drink, or enjoy your packed lunch. You can also refill your water bottle for free or warm up baby food in the microwave.

We trust everyone to keep the space clean, not take anything that isn’t theirs, and to treat the area with respect. If you notice anything unusual, don’t hesitate to speak to one of our staff members.

On Wednesdays, weekends, and during Flemish school holidays, you can stop by our Honesty Bar for a cup of coffee, tea, water, or apple juice. Our hosts will welcome you warmly. You decide how much you pay for your drinks. All proceeds go towards making our activities accessible to everyone — so people who are struggling financially can still take part in our workshops, lectures, performances, and more.

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