Atomium in Brussels

How To Visit the Atomium

There are several ways you can visit the Atomium, depending on how you'd like to experience this iconic monument. For an in depth visit, we recommend getting this ticket to the Atomium, which also includes an audio guide.

If you want to combine visiting the Atomium with more sightseeing, you can buy tickets for the Brussels Hop On Hop Off bus. For those spending more time in Brussels, perhaps the best option is buying a Brussels Card. That way, you'll have admission to 49 of Brussels' top museums—including the Atomium!

What Is the Significance of the Atomium in Brussels?

The Atomium is to Brussels what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris. Landmarks that were designed to surprise and awe the inhabitants and visitors to the World's Fair exhibition, and that were at first severely criticised and have become the most important symbols of each country.

The Atomium was the main pavilion and the main attraction of the 1958 Brussels World’s Fair.

Architecture

The Atomium was designed by the engineer André Waterkeyn alongside two architects, André and Jean Polak. The monument represents an elementary iron crystal magnified 165 billion times. The structure stands 102 m (334 ft) tall and has nine interconnected spheres, each 18 m (59 ft) in diameter, connected to each other by tubes with escalators.

What Is It Like Inside the Brussels Atomium?

There are permanent and temporary exhibitions inside each sphere. Among the permanent exhibitions, it is worth highlighting the 1958 Expo one, featuring documents, videos, photos and much more, and in the top sphere, there is a restaurant.

Is it Worth Visiting the Brussels Atomium?

Although the Atomium is remarkable from the outside, it can be a little disappointing from the inside, especially if you have been waiting for a long time to enter the monument.

If you visit the area and want to go for a walk, we recommend heading to Laeken Park, where you’ll be able to see some of the original pavilions of the Expo. The best are the Chinese and Japanese pavilions.