It’s also a proper institute: attached to the museum is a 13-storey building where scientists work. Recently, researchers have been busy finding the causes and cures for a plague of mosquitoes in Vilvoorde, a rare appearance by the ocean sunfish (Mola mola) off the coast of Nieuwpoort and the sudden appearance of barn owl chicks (Tyto alba) in a communal nesting box in Schoten.

This being the year of Darwin, it’s only right and proper that they’ve now opened a dedicated Gallery of Evolution, this being the year of Darwin. The gallery takes as its motto the words of geneticist and evolutionary biologist Theodosius Dobzhansky: “Nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution”.

The gallery is housed in a just-opened wing of the museum, reached by a series of lifts and staircases. The whole gallery is in one space, which is as huge as the main hall of a grand railway station and feels as monumental as a cathedral.

It’s a monumental task: to tell the story of evolution from about the Cambrian era (540 million years ago) to the age of the mammals, or Holocene era, which is what we’re living in now. It even attempts to forecast what sort of wildlife there might be 50 million years in the future.

I went around the Gallery of Evolution with a 10-year-old, and it’s the work of a whole visit. The layout is impressive, with exhibits ranging from fossils to virtual displays to good old-fashioned stuffed animals. The accompanying documentation is kept on the light side, presumably to allow for further study at home on the computer or in the library.

I wonder, though, if the whole thing isn’t a little bit too dry and linear to keep the attention of children. It’s missing that engaging interactive quality found elsewhere in the museum. But as a starting-point for finding out more, it’s a worthwhile effort.

Incidentally, one creature you won’t find covered in any detail is Man. That’s a deliberate decision of the institute not to present humans as any sort of culmination of the evolutionary process.

X-TREME

While the Evolution Gallery is overtly didactic and not terribly hands-on, the temporary exhibition downstairs – extended until 30 August – is the kind of exhibit kids would plan for themselves, as you can see from the way they swarm all over everything in a fervour of excitement as if someone had shot Coca Cola right into their veins.

The museum has a way with exhibitions of this kind, which generally revolve around an aspect of biology or biodiversity. In the past, they’ve had success with subjects like forensic science, wildlife in the cities and courting behaviour, and even with less promising subjects: exhibitions on water and on mussels had unexpected nuggets.

The current exhibition is called Survivors of the X-TREME, and it features animals that live in extreme conditions – heat, cold, airlessness, drought, darkness. It’s a challenging premise for several reasons: it covers a lot of the planet; it invites children to imagine themselves in strange situations; it passes on a lot of information about anatomy and physiology.

But most importantly, it’s hands on – literally. At every stop are things to push, pull, squeeze or lift. Blow into nozzles to test your lung capacity. To get a feel for the heat of the desert sand, take off your shoes and step onto a heated pad.

The effect is remarkable: it’s like setting light to the fuse of children’s curiosity. You can see why they don’t adopt this approach more in schools. There’s literally no controlling them once they get started. Kindling that enthusiasm is probably the best return a scientific institution could possibly provide.

Natural Sciences Museum

Vautierstraat 29, Brussels

www.naturalsciences.be

Tips for the perfect visit

When to go: The first Wednesday of the month is free for everyone from 13.00, but the downside is that it’s extremely busy. On other days, it’s best to go early. The museum opens at 10.00 on weekends, at 9.30 weekdays except Monday.

How much? Admission is €7.50 for adults and €4.50 for children over six (under-six gets in free). The temporary exhibition is €2 more. A season ticket is only worthwhile if you come five times or more in a year. The NMBS offers a combined rail ticket and entry: www.b-dagtrips.be