In Flanders Field Museum

The In Flanders Field Museum is a Belgian museum in Iepers (Ypres) predominantly dedicated to World War One and is based within Cloth Hall or ‘Lakenhalle’, a medieval building built in 1304 in the town’s market square. Open 10am until 6pm everyday, the museum’s purpose is not to glorify war but to suggest its futility, exploring the personal experiences of those in the Western Front region during World War One.

In Flanders Field Museum history

During World War One, the Cloth Hall was largely destroyed by the heavy artillery bombardment in the area, but was afterwards reconstructed. In 1998, the museum was renamed from the Ypres Salient Memorial Museum to In Flanders Field Museum, after the known poem by the Canadian author and soldier, John McCrae.

In Flanders Field Museum today

In Flanders Field looks at the Great War from 4 perspectives: first is a personal view of the war, inviting visitors to meet characters who were in Flanders during the World War One through multimedia presentations, information boards and written accounts.

The second part of the exhibition looks at medieval Iepers and how it was destroyed by the conflict. The third aspect of the In Flanders Field exhibition explores the war as it took place in Iepers and Flanders, the part it played in the war and the World War One as a whole. It looks at the causes of the World War One, the armies that fought in it and its legacy as well as at the medical history.

The final part of the In Flanders Field Museum is dedicated to wartime art. The In Flanders Field Museum translates its exhibitions into 4 languages and uses a combination of print, pictures and multimedia displays throughout its exhibitions.

Ultimately, the In Flanders Field Museum presents the brutal history of World War One through an innovative and personal way: each visitor receives a microchipped wristband that activated the narrated stories of characters speaking in their own language as they travel the exhibits.

Getting to the In Flanders Field Museum

Situated in Iepers central town square, the Cloth Hall In Flanders Field Museum is an unmissable landmark in the small Belgian town. Buses 1, 20, 40, 50, 60, 72, 84 and 95 all stop just outside the building and Iepers Train Station has regular links to Anvers, Poperinge and Antwerp.

For drivers, Iepers is an hour and 20 minute drive from the Channel port of Calais across the French-Belgian border via A16 to Dunkirk and the N225 then N38 to Iepers.