The secret of Tracing Boards
6 February - 31 May 2026
The Tracing Board lies at the very heart of Masonic ritual. It occupies an essential position, yet one that is rarely visible to the general public. Both symbolic and functional, it structures the ritual space while guiding reflection and interpretation.
This exhibition offers visitors an unprecedented immersion into this distinctive visual universe. It seeks to elucidate what a tracing board is, to explore its role and uses, and to reveal the wide variety of forms and representations it can assume. Around thirty works highlight the formal and conceptual richness of these boards, while offering a renewed perspective on a symbolic heritage that dates back to the eighteenth century.
At the intersection of transmission, secrecy and creation, the Belgian Museum of Freemasonry unveils what is usually kept from view. Visitors are invited, for the duration of the exhibition, to cross the threshold into a world in which everything is symbol.
Admission rate:
Temporary exhibition (including audio guide): €12
Combined ticket + Permanent collection (including audio guide): €14
This rate cannot be combined with other discounts or passes
Nocturnes : stories and degustation, a taste of freemasonry
16 April 18:00 - 22:00
EXPO The tracing board is a symbolic image rooted in a long tradition of transmitting knowledge. From Antiquity to speculative Freemasonry, it has served as a tool for memory and as a visual guide for an inner journey. More than a collection of symbols, it invites you to slow down, observe, and create their own meaningful connections.
GUIDED TOUR Thanks to guided tours of the permanent collection and the temporary exhibition The Secret of the Tracing Boards, discover the history and symbols of Freemasonry while enjoying a drink and a bite.
Tickets : https://nocturnes.brussels/
Erfgoeddag : Humor van toen - De karikaturen van De Frondeur
26 april 11:00 - 17:00
As part of Flemish Heritage Day, step into the world of Le Frondeur, a liberal and anticlerical periodical published in Leuven between 1868 and 1869. Discover 37 sharp and masterful caricatures in which priests, monks, bishops, and politicians are incisively ridiculed.
Their subtleties are not always immediately apparent: the satire plays on double meanings and refers to a world that is now 150 years distant. Let yourself be challenged, decipher the iconography, and explore how the anticlerical bourgeoisie viewed the political and social issues of their time.
A unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the humour, wit, and intellectual landscape of a Flemish provincial city in the heart of the nineteenth century.
Latest Events at The Belgian Museum of Freemasonry
Masonic Quest
A mysterious backpack found in the Museum…
The Belgian Museum of Freemasonry invites you to embark on a truly immersive experience: Masonic Quest, a thrilling escape game that takes place throughout the entire museum. Each puzzle you solve will bring you one step closer to uncovering the hidden treasure.
Succeed in your mission, and you’ll be rewarded with a photo alongside the treasure, an exclusive badge, and a certificate of investigation to commemorate your adventure.
Step into Masonic Quest, the captivating escape game at the Belgian Museum of Freemasonry! Dive into a world of intrigue, where mystery, symbols, and riddles intertwine. Follow in the footsteps of a historian who once hid a treasure deep within the museum’s walls. Work as a team, explore every corner, crack codes, and solve puzzles to discover what’s been concealed.
Book your spot now by emailing [email protected]
1h30 | 15€ pp | Recommended age 15+ | FR/NL/EN
Professional & Educational
Are you looking for a unique venue for your event, a private reception, a board meeting, a seminar with dinner, a team building or a place for your educational or creative project? The museum’s beautiful conservatory and its 18th-century architectural surroundings offer you a really unique place to host your guests, colleagues or students.
We can help and advise you with a range of possibilities.
Contact: [email protected]
Gifts, Donations & Loans
You can also support the museum! The Museum accepts gifts, donations or loans from Lodges or individuals.
Volunteering
Would you like to get personally involved? Whether it’s for a few hours as a receptionist or as a museum guide, we are happy to offer you suitable training. You can contribute to a warm welcome to our visitors.
Contact: [email protected]