In this guide
💡 The Short Version: The Manneken Pis on the street is a reproduction. The 1619 bronze by Jérôme Duquesnoy is in the Brussels City Museum, in the King’s House on the Grand-Place. The statue on the street is free to see, and he is dressed for almost half the year, with a calendar at mannekenpis.brussels. The GardeRobe MannekenPis, Rue du Chêne 19, shows about 150 of his more than 900 costumes, and one €10 ticket covers it and the City Museum. Both are closed on Mondays and free on the first Sunday of each month and with the Brussels Card. His sister Jeanneke Pis and his dog Zinneke Pis are nearby. Prices are in euros. Or book a tour: the must-see attractions walking tourad is from €28 (GetYourGuide).
The statue
The City of Brussels calls the Manneken Pis the emblem of the city’s rebellious spirit. He was a fountain in the water supply from the 15th century, and he survived the bombardment of 1695. The bronze that stands in his place is a reproduction: the real statue was sent to the City Museum, after being stolen, damaged and vandalised several times. The GardeRobe MannekenPis dates the last theft to 1965.
The Manneken Pis at the corner of Rue de l’Étuve and Rue du Chêne. Photo: Fred Romero, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
- The sculptor. Visit Brussels names Jérôme Duquesnoy, who made the bronze in the style of Cupid in 1619.
- The legend. The most common story has a boy putting out a lit fuse that besiegers had set to the city walls. Visit Brussels treats it as legend, and the dated facts are the 1619 statue and a painting by Denis van Alsloot that shows him dressed as a shepherd for the Ommegang.
- The costumes. The oldest ones the City cites are a costume given in 1698 by Maximilian Emanuel of Bavaria and a knight’s costume given by the King of France in 1747, which survives. A City employee dresses him, and 23 dressings fall on fixed dates, with new suits arriving regularly. The costumes have to meet rules: no advertising, commercial, political or religious character.
- The calendar. He is dressed for almost half of the year. Check the dressing calendar before you set out.
The GardeRobe MannekenPis and the City Museum
GardeRobe MannekenPis
Rue du Chêne 19 · Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 17:00 · €10, shared with the City Museum
The museum shows about 150 costumes at a time in pop-up windows, each with a theme, out of a collection of more than 900. An interactive database lets you search the whole wardrobe. It is closed on Mondays, 1 January, 1 May, 1 November, 11 November and 25 December. Entry is free for under-18s, with the Brussels Card and the MuseumPASSmusees, and on the first Sunday of each month. Suitcases and travel bags are not allowed, and the museum points to a locker at Brussels-Central.
The GardeRobe MannekenPis at Rue du Chêne 19. Photo: Benoît Prieur, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
Brussels City Museum, in the King’s House
Grand-Place · Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 17:00 · adult €10
The King’s House, the neo-Gothic building facing the Town Hall, holds the original Manneken Pis. One ticket covers this museum and the GardeRobe. Seniors aged 65 and over pay €7, and students, jobseekers, City of Brussels residents and teachers €5. It is closed on Mondays, 1 January, 1 May, 1 November, 11 November and 25 December, and closes at 16:00 on 24 and 31 December. The Brussels Card and the MuseumPASSmusees are free, and so is the first Sunday of each month.
Where to buy
| What | The City of Brussels | GetYourGuide | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared ticket, GardeRobe and City Museum | €10 | No listing | The museums’ ticket desks or online ticket shop |
Jeanneke Pis and Zinneke Pis
Jeanneke Pis
Impasse de la Fidélité · free · always visible
A smiling bronze girl, 50 cm tall, in a fountain in a cul-de-sac. Denis-Adrien Debouvrie commissioned her to restore equality between men and women, and she was presented to the public in 1987.
Jeanneke Pis behind her railings in the Impasse de la Fidélité. Photo: Danbu14, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0.
Zinneke Pis (Het Zinneke)
Rue des Chartreux · free · always visible
A bronze dog by Tom Frantzen that copies his master’s bad manners, installed on the pavement in 1999. A car hit him in 2015 and he went back after a short repair.
Tours worth paying for
The statue takes minutes to see, so the tours worth paying for are the walks that include it in a route. Prices are the lowest “from” prices, per person.
Brussels must-see attractions walking tour
From €28 · 4.8 stars from 211 reviews
Brussels Must-See Attractions Walking Tourad is a guided walk of the central sights. Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
City highlights walking and tasting tour
From €70 · 4.9 stars from 577 reviews
Brussels: City Highlights Walking and Tasting Tourad adds tastings to a walk of the highlights. Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead. Brussels walking tours compares the others.
Practical information
- Getting there: the GardeRobe says the fountain is 2 minutes from its door on foot, the Grand-Place 5 minutes, Brussels-Central 6 minutes and the Bourse 10 minutes. From Brussels-Midi, take a local train one stop to Central. Brussels public transport has the fares.
- The order that works: see the statue on a dressed day, then the GardeRobe, then the original in the City Museum on the Grand-Place, on one ticket. What to skip: the museums on a Monday, when both are closed and only the street statue is there.
- The one thing that ruins a visit: expecting the original on the street. The bronze there is a copy, and the 1619 statue is behind the City Museum’s ticket desk.
What to book in Brussels has the closed days for every sight. The Grand-Place is five minutes away, and the Town Hall tour faces the City Museum. The Tintin mural at Rue de l’Étuve 37 is stop 6 on the comic strip route, and the statue is stop 4 of the old town walk. Free things to do in Brussels lists the statue with the other sights that cost nothing. Best museums in Brussels covers the first-Sunday free days. Brussels chocolate shops and Brussels waffles cover the food stops on the walk. 3 days in Brussels puts the statue on the first morning. For a bed nearby, see where to stay in Brussels.
Common questions
Is the Manneken Pis in Brussels the original?
No. The statue on the street is a reproduction. The bronze that Jérôme Duquesnoy made in 1619 was moved to the Brussels City Museum in the King's House on the Grand-Place after thefts and damage, and the GardeRobe MannekenPis says it has been kept there since the last theft in 1965.
Is it free to see the Manneken Pis?
Yes. The statue is on the street and costs nothing. The GardeRobe MannekenPis, which shows his costumes, and the Brussels City Museum take one shared ticket of €10.
How often is the Manneken Pis dressed?
For almost half of the year. A City of Brussels employee dresses him, with 23 dressings on fixed dates, and the dressing calendar is published at mannekenpis.brussels.
How many costumes does the Manneken Pis have?
More than 900, according to the City of Brussels. The GardeRobe MannekenPis shows about 150 at a time in themed windows, and an interactive database lists the whole collection.
Where is the GardeRobe MannekenPis?
At Rue du Chêne 19. The museum puts the fountain 2 minutes away on foot, the Grand-Place 5 minutes and Brussels-Central 6 minutes.
Who is Jeanneke Pis?
A 50 cm bronze girl in Impasse de la Fidélité, commissioned by Denis-Adrien Debouvrie to restore equality between men and women and presented to the public in 1987.
What is the Zinneke Pis?
A bronze dog by Tom Frantzen, installed on the pavement of Rue des Chartreux in 1999. A car hit him in 2015 and he was restored.
