Belgian Heritage Center

Summary

The Belgian Heritage Center is in the Namur National Landmark Historic District and illustrates a living history through historic buildings, artifacts, exhibits and video. The surrounding rural area is home to the largest Walloon Belgian settlement in the US. As you arrive, you will drive through communities with homesteads dating back to the original settlers, many with traditional Belgian brick houses. BHC’s campus includes a church built in 1893 which houses exhibits and oral histories in English and Walloon. You can tour a 1894 school/convent building with a space that doubles as classroom and worship space and living facilities for the sisters who taught there. You will see a traditional votive (roadside) chapel in honor of St Roch and a historic cemetery with an interesting backstory. BHC’s annual events include a Bread & Booyah lunch, Belgian Waffle Breakfast and Kermiss, a traditional Belgian Harvest festival, as well as a remembrance of the devastating Great Fire of 1871.

Hours/Availability

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, 10am-3pm, May through October, and by appointment.

Winter Hours

Open by appt only.

More Information

Tours:  

We will visit 4-8 Roadside Chapels.  Tours include a stop at the Belgian community's most important chapel – the National Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help – built on the site where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to a young Belgian woman in 1859.  Fondly known as simply as "the Chapel" in the local community, your group will hear the remarkable history of this site and stroll the grounds of the only Marian apparition in North America deemed worthy of belief by the Catholic church. Itineraries are customized for your group and may include: Belgian Heritage Center, Namur National Historic District, Norbertine Birthplace/1859 Convent and Schoolhouse, Traditional Belgian lunch featuring booyah, trippe (pork/cabbage sausage), jutt (fried cabbage) and Belgian pie. Tours are typically 3-4 hours. Belgian Heritage Center will provide step-on guide, lunch (if requested) and arrange access to all stops. Tour operators are responsible for transportation and all other expenses.