It is the only museum in the world on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
The collection includes two printing presses dating to around 1600, the oldest in existence.
It holds one of the few surviving copies of the 36-line Gutenberg Bible.
The museum preserves over 25,000 original woodblocks used for centuries of illustration.
The library holds a collection of over 30,000 historic books.
The residence features original 16th and 17th-century interior designs, including gilded leather wall coverings.
The printing business operated continuously at this address from 1555 until 1867.
The library features a revolving reading desk designed to hold multiple heavy books simultaneously.
The archives include the complete commercial records of a 16th-century international publishing house.
The Plantin-Moretus Museum is the world’s only UNESCO World Heritage-listed museum, preserving the original 16th-century workshop of the printing dynasty founded by Christophe Plantin. It houses the two oldest surviving printing presses in the world, dating back to circa 1600. The site retains the authentic residence and workshop layout of the Moretus family, who managed the business for over three centuries. Visitors explore original woodblocks, copperplates, and an extensive library containing a Gutenberg Bible. The complex includes a meticulously maintained internal courtyard garden that reflects the period's domestic architecture. The archives preserved here are inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register. The museum serves as an essential site for understanding the history of book production and European humanism.
The central courtyard garden looking back toward the printing workshop windows.
Use the provided multimedia guide to understand the complex mechanical history of the presses.
Spend extra time in the library, as it is one of the best-preserved 17th-century interior spaces in Europe.
Visit the internal garden to view the original plant varieties that would have been present during the 16th century.
Do not attempt to touch the printing presses or any historical equipment, as the machinery is fragile and strictly protected.
Closed on Mondays.
