The Parlamentarium, is the European Parliament's visitor centre, located in the Espace Léopold complex in Brussels, Belgium.[1] It was officially opened on the 14th October 2011 by the former President of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek, and hosts a permanent exhibition that features numerous multimedia components that explain the workings of the European Parliament and other European Union institutions on how laws are made and how member states work together. Situated on the Parliament's esplanade, the Parlamentarium is noted as the largest parliamentary visitors' centre in Europe and ranks second worldwide in size.[1]
Visitors to the Parlamentarium are provided with a Personal Multimedia Guide (PMG), which offers an interactive tour through the exhibition, displaying content relevant to each area; all materials in the Parlamentarium are available in the 24 official EU languages. The PMG is needed for accessing each installation, offering detailed information, audio commentary through an in-ear speaker, and short films in the selected language.[citation needed] The cinema shows a 360° view of Europe and its Parliament, while an interactive floor map gives a virtual tour of Europe.[2] The centre also accommodates tours for children and people with hearing or visual impairments.