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What is there to do?

Fancy an unusual adventure? Visit the world’s best preserved printing press and soak up the intimate atmosphere there. Young and old, type freaks and bookworms alike will all enjoy the guided tours, exhibitions and workshops here.

About the Museum

The original residence and workshop of the Plantin and Moretus printing dynasty offers you a unique historical experience, which is why it is a Unesco world heritage site. The building’s creaking oak planks and panels seem imbued in the history of books, the art of printing and the story of a family’s entrepreneurial flair. The oldest printing presses in the world can be found here, and much more besides...

Research

The Museum Plantin-Moretus conducts ongoing research into its own collection. It also provides scientific services to other institutions, specialists and students, and to the general public. In this way, the Museum has expanded a small group of connoisseurs into a large group of enthusiasts.

Museum shop

If you’re looking for something special to buy, you’ll find it in our Museum Shop. Books, designer vases and even our own perfume... Drop in and see what tempts you.

Reading room

In our reading room you can consult numerous authentic documents. You will find a precious archive of printed works, manuscripts and drawings.

de Kathedraaltoren gezien vanop de Vrijdagmarkt

Out and about in Antwerp

The Museum Plantin-Moretus is right in the heart of Antwerp. Near the Cathedral of Our Lady, but also within walking distance of the Fashion Museum and the vibrant shopping district. There’s plenty of other things to discover whenever you visit the Museum Plantin-Moretus.

Welcome to Plantins house

In 1576, Plantin relocated his printing works to the Vrijdagmarkt. His family lived and worked there for three hundred years. They converted the ‘Gulden Passer’ (‘Golden Compasses’) into a beautiful mansion. The Moretus family cherished their printing works, which had become a part of Antwerp’s heritage. The last owner, Edward Moretus, sold the house to the City of Antwerp in 1876.

Meet Plantin and his family

Christophe Plantin and his son-in-law Jan Moretus were a revolutionary duo. They were the first printers on an industrial scale – the Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg of their day. Four hundred years later, you can simply drop in on them. Because their home and workplace are still there, as if they had just popped out to the bakery.

Dive into the collection

The Museum Plantin-Moretus presents three hundred years of book-printing art and family history. You can admire the oldest printing presses in the world and a rich collection of art, including portraits by Rubens. In the library, you will find manuscripts, incunabula and original prints. And the archives tell you about daily life in both the printing works and the mansion.

Temporary exhibitions

The Museum’s temporary exhibitions focus on a succession of different themes. Specific aspects of the house, the Plantin-Moretus family, the output of the Officina Plantiniana... you can learn more about each of these subjects.

Inhoudstype

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