Menin Gate: The Complete Visitor Guide
The Menin Gate is not a gate. There is no door, no barrier, nothing to open or close. It is an arch, a passageway through the old city walls of Ypres, and on every surface of that arch, inside and out, there are names.
54,896 names. British and Commonwealth soldiers who died in the Ypres Salient during the First World War and have no known grave.
Every evening at 8pm, the traffic through the arch stops. Buglers from the local fire brigade step forward. The Last Post is sounded. It has happened every evening since 2 July 1928, without interruption except for the four years of German occupation during the Second World War. On 6 September 1944, the day Ypres was liberated, the ceremony resumed. It has not stopped since.
The 54,896 names, what the number means
Every name on the Menin Gate represents a man who died in the Ypres Salient and whose body was never found or identified. Not missing in the sense of lost records. Missing in the physical sense: the ground consumed them.
The Salient, the bulge in the Allied line around Ypres, was fought over for four years. The same fields were shelled, flooded, fought over, and shelled again. Remains were buried by explosions, mixed with the mud, or simply never recovered.
The 54,896 names cover those who died before 15 August 1917. Those who died after that date, and whose remains were not found, are listed on the Tyne Cot Memorial, 10km east of Ypres. Together, the two memorials carry almost 90,000 names, and they represent only the Ypres Salient.
How to find a specific name on the Menin Gate
The Menin Gate is organised by regiment and panel. The panels are numbered, and the names within each panel are in alphabetical order by surname.
Before you visit:
The easiest method is the Last Post Association app, available free on iOS and Android. Search by name, it returns the panel number and the exact location on the memorial. The CWGC website (cwgc.org) also works: search the name, and the result will tell you the memorial and panel number.
Write the panel number down before you go. The gate is large and the panels are not immediately intuitive to navigate if you arrive without a reference.
At the gate:
Panels are on the inside of the arch (under the vault), on the side loggias, and on the outer faces. The panel numbers run in sequence but the layout is not linear, spend a few minutes with the map in the app before you start searching.
The ceremony takes place under the main vault of the arch. If you want to find a name and then attend the ceremony, arrive by 7pm at the latest in summer, 7:30pm is sufficient in winter.
The Last Post ceremony, what actually happens
The timeline:
- 7:30pm: Police close the road through the Menin Gate to traffic
- 7:55pm: Buglers from the Ypres Fire Brigade march in from the town side and take position under the vault
- 8:00pm: The Last Post is sounded
- Silence: One minute
- The Exhortation: "They shall not grow old..."
- The Reveille
- 8:10-8:20pm: End of ceremony
On special evenings, national commemorations, school wreath-laying ceremonies, military delegations, the ceremony is extended with additional music, bands, or addresses. The Last Post Association publishes a calendar on lastpost.be showing what is planned each evening.
Where to stand:
The ceremony takes place on the town side of the arch (the side facing Ypres). There are four roped sections. The two sections furthest from the town give the best view of the buglers.
In summer (July-August): arrive by 7:00-7:15pm for a good position. In spring and autumn: 7:30pm is sufficient. In winter: 7:45pm is fine on most evenings.
One thing worth knowing: applause is not appropriate during or after the ceremony. The Last Post Association asks visitors to maintain silence throughout. This is stated at the ceremony but not everyone is aware of it before they arrive.
The history of the Menin Gate
The original Menin Gate was the gap in the medieval ramparts of Ypres through which troops marched out towards the front line. Hundreds of thousands of British and Commonwealth soldiers passed through it between 1914 and 1918. Many never returned.
After the war, the Imperial War Graves Commission (now the Commonwealth War Graves Commission) commissioned architect Sir Reginald Blomfield to design a memorial on the site. The Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing was unveiled on 24 July 1927 by Field Marshal Lord Plumer.
The original plan was to list all the missing from the entire Ypres Salient on a single memorial. There were too many names. The cutoff date of 15 August 1917 was established, with those missing after that date listed at Tyne Cot. Even with that division, 54,896 names were carved into the Menin Gate.
The Last Post ceremony began on 2 July 1928. When German forces occupied Ypres from 20 May 1940, the ceremony moved to Brookwood Military Cemetery in England. On 6 September 1944, the evening Ypres was liberated by Polish troops, the ceremony was sounded at the Menin Gate again. It has been sounded every evening since.
What most visitors miss at the Menin Gate
The names behind the arch. Most visitors stand under the main vault and look at the names immediately visible. The side loggias and the names on the outer faces of the arch receive less attention. Some of the panels with the highest concentrations of names from specific regiments are in those less-visited sections.
The road beneath. The Menin Gate stands over a road that is still in daily use. The arch is part of the living infrastructure of Ypres, not a closed monument. Traffic drives through it every hour except the 20 minutes around the ceremony each evening.
The difference between this memorial and a cemetery. There are no graves here. Every name on the Menin Gate represents a soldier whose body was never found or identified. That distinction, between a grave and a name on stone, matters when you are trying to explain it to someone who has never thought about what "missing" actually means.
Practical information
Location: Meensestraat, Ypres. 250 metres from the central market square (Grote Markt). Visible from the square.
The Last Post: every evening at 8pm, free, no reservation required for spectators. To participate (wreath laying, bugle playing) contact the Last Post Association in advance at lastpost.be.
Accessibility: wheelchair accessible. Notify the Last Post Association in advance for reserved space at the ceremony.
Parking: no parking at the Menin Gate itself. Park at the Grote Markt or at the Ypres ramparts.
Frequently asked questions
How many names are on the Menin Gate? 54,896. All British and Commonwealth soldiers who died in the Ypres Salient before 15 August 1917 and have no known grave.
Is the Last Post ceremony free? Yes. Anyone can attend without booking or charge. Only those wishing to actively participate (laying a wreath, playing) need to contact the Last Post Association in advance.
How do I find a specific name on the Menin Gate? Use the Last Post Association app (free, iOS and Android) or the CWGC website (cwgc.org). Both return the panel number for any name listed. Bring the panel number with you — the arch is large and the panels are not intuitive to navigate without a reference.
What time does the Last Post ceremony start? Every evening at 8:00pm (20:00), year-round, without exception.
When should I arrive for the ceremony? In July and August, arrive by 7:00-7:15pm. In spring and autumn, 7:30pm. In winter, 7:45pm is usually sufficient.
Is there a fee to visit the Menin Gate? No. The memorial is free and open at all times.
What is the difference between the Menin Gate and Tyne Cot? Both are memorials to the missing of the Ypres Salient. The Menin Gate lists those who died before 15 August 1917. Tyne Cot lists those who died after that date. Together they carry almost 90,000 names.
The Menin Gate Last Post is an optional evening extension to the Half-Day Ypres Salient tourand Full Day Flanders Fields Tour. The full ceremony and name-finding process are part of the guide-led experience.
Written by Niels Declercq, private WW1 battlefield guide based in Bruges.
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