The oldest mental asylum in Belgium, which dates back to 1857 is in Jozef Guislainstraat. Today it houses an absolutely fascinating museum.

It was the visionary Dr Guislain who was one of the first to think of mentally ill people as patients with a right to humane treatment. The shame that was felt at the way psychiatric patients had been treated in the past was the impetus for founding the Dr Guislain Museum in Ghent in 1986.

Definitions of normal

Dr Guislain Museum in Ghent aims to break down the many prejudices that still define what is ‘mentally ill’ and what is ‘normal’. Discover the permanent collection about the history of psychiatry, and the great temporary exhibitions.

Museum café

You can stay and talk about your impressions in the museum café

Picnic

If desired, you can picnic in the courtyard. Please make sure you don’t leave any rubbish.

Online ticketing Muse­um Dr. Guis­lain

Prefer not to wait in line at the ticket booth? Want to be sure you can discover the Muse­um Dr. Guis­lain when you want to? Then book your tickets online in advance and enjoy your visit to the fullest.

Book your tickets here!
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CityCard Gent: a must-have for your visit to Ghent

You can buy the CityCard Gent here