In this guide
💡 The Short Version: An adult Atomium ticket is €17 and includes the Design Museum Brussels, 150 metres away. It is open daily 10:00 to 18:00 with the last entry at 17:30, and closed from 18 January to 5 February 2027. The Atomium’s pages say tickets are exceptionally sold at its ticket office only, and its GetYourGuide listingad, labelled “Official ticket”, sells the same €17 ticket for a chosen date. A ticket bought online skips the ticket-office queue, not the queue to go in, and the Atomium says a booking time gives no priority at the entrance. Go outside 11:00 to 15:00. The Mini-Europe combination ticket is €35 and is sold on the spot. Metro line 6 to Heysel reaches it. Prices are in euros. Or book a tour: the Mini-Europe ticketad is €21.70 and the guided walking tourad from €25 (GetYourGuide).
Tickets and prices
Prices are from the Atomium’s price page. The Atomium’s website says tickets are exceptionally available at its ticket office only, at Place de l’Atomium 1. The price page adds that online purchases carry transaction fees. Buy only from atomium.be: searches for Atomium tickets return sites with the monument’s name in their web address that are not the operator.
| Ticket | Individual price |
|---|---|
| Adult, 18 to 64 | €17 |
| Senior, 65 and over | €15 |
| Teacher | €12 |
| Student | €9 |
| Child over 115 cm, to 17 | €9 |
| Person with a disability | €9 |
| Child of 115 cm or under | Free |
- What it covers. The five accessible spheres, with the panorama and the permanent and temporary exhibitions, and the whole of the Design Museum Brussels, 150 metres away.
- When it is valid. From 10:00 to 17:30 on the date you choose.
- A discount. The Atomium takes 10% off with a ticket to the Meise Botanic Garden (1 July to 31 December 2026) or the Expo Tutankhamun (to 17 January 2027).
- The Brussels Card sells an Atomium option at €14 for an adult on top of the card, €12 for a senior and €6.50 for a child over 115 cm. Brussels Card: is it worth it? has the sums.
Combination tickets
| Ticket | Adult | Senior | Student or teenager 12 to 17 | Child over 115 cm, to 11 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atomium and Mini-Europe | €35 | €33.20 | €27.30 | €21.80 |
| Atomium and Belgian Beer World, age 16 and over | €37 |
The Atomium and Mini-Europe combination is cheaper than the two tickets bought separately at the door (€17 and €25, €42 together) and than the online pair (€17 and €21.70, €38.70). Mini-Europe says the combination is temporarily not sold online, so buy it at the ticket office of either. The Belgian Beer World ticket is valid at the Atomium only on the chosen date, and at the Design Museum and Belgian Beer World within two consecutive days.
Where to buy
| What | The Atomium | GetYourGuide | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult ticket with the Design Museum | €17 | From €17 | The Atomium first. The GetYourGuide listing names the Atomium as the provider, is labelled “Official ticket” and cancels free up to 24 hours ahead |
| Atomium and Mini-Europe | €35 | No listing | The ticket office |
Tours worth paying for
The Atomium sells its own tickets, and the GetYourGuide listing is the same ticket at the same price. Two day tours add the Atomium to a longer route. Prices are the lowest “from” prices, per person.
Atomium entry ticket with Design Museum
From €17 · 4.4 stars from 12,813 reviews
Brussels: Atomium Entry Ticket with Design Museum Ticketad is the Atomium’s own listing, valid for one day. Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Best of Brussels, Antwerp and the Atomium
From €45 · 4.5 stars from 225 reviews
From Brussels: Best of Brussels, Antwerp & Iconic Atomiumad is a guided day tour that puts the Atomium with Antwerp. Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead. Antwerp as a day trip says what the city holds if you go on your own.
Ghent day trip with an Atomium stop
From €47 · 4.8 stars from 209 reviews
From Brussels: Ghent Day Trip, Atomium Stop & Boat Optionad adds a boat option in Ghent. Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead. Ghent as a day trip has the train and the sights.
What to see
The Atomium was built as the emblem of the 1958 World’s Fair in Brussels and was not meant to outlast it. It was renovated from 2004 to 2006, and the Atomium says it draws more than 800,000 visitors a year. Five of its spheres are open to visitors.
The Atomium and the entrance pavilion at its foot. Photo: Helmlechner, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
- The panorama. The main viewpoint is in the upper sphere. The Atomium says that in good weather you can see Antwerp, and panels name the monuments below.
- The viewpoint sphere. A second view, from one of the side spheres, looks at the city through the structure itself.
- The permanent exhibition. A sphere low down tells the story of Expo 58 with archive film and photographs, and holds a scale model of the fair site that Etienne Tollenaere built over more than 1,700 hours.
- The temporary exhibitions. More than half of the visit is digital art. The 2026 shows, Nimbus and Supply Chain, are light-and-sound installations, and the Atomium warns that the visual effects can be disorienting for people prone to vertigo or epilepsy.
- The interior. Stainless-steel domes 18 metres across and tubes that carry escalators and light-and-sound displays are the work of André and Jean Polak with the engineer André Waterkeyn.
- The Design Museum Brussels. Plastic design from the 1950s to today, on Place de Belgique, open 11:00 to 19:00 with the last entry at 18:30.
The view from the Atomium over Brussels, with the high-rises of the centre on the horizon. Photo: Helmlechner, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
The order that works: arrive at 10:00 or after 15:00, since the Atomium puts its peak at 11:00 to 15:00 and says the crowd thins from 17:00. Start with the panorama in the upper sphere, which the Atomium calls part 1 of the visit, then take the viewpoint and the exhibitions, and walk to the Design Museum last. What to skip: the restaurant in the top sphere, 95 metres up, unless you want a table: it is independently run, and a reservation does not include entry to the Atomium. AtomiumPlay, a free game that guides you round, runs on your phone in English, French and Dutch.
Hours, rules and getting there
| Date | Atomium | Design Museum Brussels |
|---|---|---|
| Every day | 10:00 to 18:00, last entry 17:30 | 11:00 to 19:00, last entry 18:30 |
| 24 and 31 December | 10:00 to 16:00 | 11:00 to 17:00 |
| 25 December and 1 January | 12:00 to 18:00 | 13:00 to 19:00 |
| 18 January to 5 February 2027 | Closed for maintenance |
- Getting there: metro line 6 to Heysel. From Brussels-Midi it is one line, about 15 minutes. From De Brouckère, line 1 to Beekkant, then line 6 towards Roi Baudouin. Tap a contactless bank card, phone or watch on the STIB gates. Brussels public transport has the fares.
- By car: the Atomium has no parking of its own, and Brussels is a low-emission zone.
- Guided tour: on request, three weeks ahead, for groups of up to 20, about 1 hour 30 and €120 per guide plus tickets.
- The one thing that ruins a visit: arriving between 18 January and 5 February 2027, when it is closed, or at 12:00 on a busy day expecting an online ticket to walk you in.
What to book in Brussels has the closed days for every sight. Mini-Europe is 150 metres away and the two share a combination ticket. Brussels with kids sorts the family sights by age. The hop-on hop-off bus has an Atomium stop. Best museums in Brussels covers the museums that close on Mondays, which the Atomium does not. 3 days in Brussels puts the Atomium on one morning. The Atomium esplanade is the site of the free New Year’s Eve show: see Brussels on New Year’s Eve 2026. For a bed, see where to stay in Brussels.
Common questions
How much is an Atomium ticket?
An adult ticket (18 to 64) is €17. Seniors aged 65 and over pay €15, students and children from 115 cm to 17 pay €9, and children of 115 cm or under are free. The ticket includes the Design Museum Brussels, 150 metres from the Atomium.
Does an Atomium ticket include the Design Museum?
Yes. The ticket covers the five accessible spheres of the Atomium, with the panorama and the exhibitions, and the whole of the Design Museum Brussels.
Can I skip the queue at the Atomium by booking online?
Only the one at the ticket office. The Atomium says a ticket bought online skips the line at the ticket office but not the queue for the entry, and that the time of your reservation gives no priority at the entrance. The peak is 11:00 to 15:00.
What are the Atomium's opening hours?
Daily 10:00 to 18:00, with the last entry at 17:30. On 24 and 31 December it is open 10:00 to 16:00, and on 25 December and 1 January noon to 18:00. It is closed from 18 January to 5 February 2027 for annual maintenance.
How do I get to the Atomium by metro?
Take metro line 6 to Heysel. From Brussels-Midi the Atomium gives the journey as about 15 minutes. From De Brouckère, near the Grand-Place, take line 1 to Beekkant and change there to line 6 towards Roi Baudouin.
Is there a combined ticket for the Atomium and Mini-Europe?
Yes: €35 for an adult, sold at the ticket office of either. The Atomium and Mini-Europe are 150 metres apart. Bought separately on the spot the two cost €42; booked online they cost €38.70.
Is the Atomium open on Mondays?
Yes. The Atomium is open every day except during its annual closure, from 18 January to 5 February 2027.
