When Brussels opened its World Expo in April 1958, it was the first World’s Fair in the post-WWII era. Many nations were eager to demonstrate new optimism about the future, and 28 (including the United States) erected pavilions at the Expo.
The centerpiece of the Expo was the Atomium, a 102-meter tall representation of an iron crystal. Andre Waterkeyn, the civil engineer who created it, wanted to showcase the Belgian metal industry. He drew inspiration from American President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s “Atoms for Peace” program: atomic power should no longer be seen as a weapon for war but a source of peaceful energy. Intended to last only the six months of the fair’s duration, the wildly popular Atomium became a beloved symbol of Brussels that still endures today.
Approach to the Atomium
By the time the fair began, three nuclear power plants already existed: in the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and one in Pennsylvania in the United States.
Ride up to the central level.
View from midway up the Atomium. Central Brussels is in the background.
View from the Level 7 observation deck.
The Atomium Restaurant at the top-most level inside the Atomium offers panoramic views.
Light show on one of the middle levels.
The Paris Match is a French-language weekly news magazine, known especially for its photojournalism. It published a special edition for Expo 58.
I loved that tagline: “Ambassador with a clarinet”.
Souvenir plate from Expo 58 featuring the Atomium.
Another souvenir plate from Expo 58, along with a Belgian 20-franc note featuring the Atomium.
The Atomium is located at Place de l’Atomium 1 In Brussels. From the Grand Place in the center of Brussels, you’d take the #1 subway line west to Beekkant, then the #6 line north to the Heizel stop. The Atomium is open from 10:00am to 6:00pm daily most of the year, although there are shorter winter hours from 12:00pm to 6:00pm beginning October 1st. They get very crowded during the summer, so they advise timing your arrival for 10:00am or after 3:00pm. Note that there are separate queues for buying tickets vs the queue for entry into the Atomium, so make sure you’re in the right line.
I didn’t buy tickets in advance and the line for the ticket booth was so long that I ended up using my phone to buy my ticket online and had that task completed long before I would have reached the ticket booth. Adult tickets are 17€ and seniors are 15€. Admission is free for those in wheelchairs or using crutches. There are also options to buy combo tickets for the Atomium plus Mini-Europe (which is right next door) or for the Atomium plus the Belgian Beer World Experience.
The Belgian Beer World Experience is not near the Atomium, but the Design Museum, Mini-Europe, and the Planetarium are all within walking distance, so you can make a day out of seeing all four.
It is possible to visit just the Atomium Restaurant without admission to the Atomium itself. Reservations are essential in the evenings.