The city of Menen gives its name to the Menin Gate in Ypres, which is a monument to those killed in World War I.

During the Flanders Campaign of the Wars of the French Revolution the city changed hands several times.

In 2013, the city drew international attention by forbidding its civil servants to speak French with francophones.

[3] A new art museum, the Stadsmuseum ’t Schippershof, opened in 1999, holds many works by Menen-born sculptor Yvonne Serruys.

Opposite 't Schippershof there is the cultural center CC De Steiger that houses the city's theater, public library and a concert space for live music.