After more than two decades of preparation, the Red Star Line Museum, one of Antwerp’s more recent tourist destinations, finally opened its doors in 2013.

Between 1883 and 1934, people from Belgium and other European nations were carried over the ocean to Canada or the United States by the steamers of the Red Star business in an effort to flee persecution, destitution, and oppression.

The museum is devoted to investigating not just the actual voyage and process but also the factors that led people to leave their homes in search of a better life.

The exhibits include areas where passengers were chosen for passage, some of whom were never given the opportunity to board a ship. Personal stories of those who did emigrate and those who were left behind, as well as accounts of the transatlantic voyage, are also of interest.