Like most of the world's major cities, Montreal holds its own when it comes to offering a solid selection of museums. Most common are exhibitions promoting emerging or world-renowned artists, exceptional artifacts or great scientific discoveries. If any of these pique your interest, check out these must-visit museums.
Get off at the Place-d'Armes metro station and head to the Old Port - rue de la Commune Ouest, to be precise - to visit this museum dedicated to anything concerning technology and science. Here, they believe in interaction with the public, so the younger visitors will really enjoy learning, all while having fun.
Located in the business sector of Montreal, on Sherbrooke West (near Guy-Concordia or Peel metro stations), the MBA features more than 41,000 works dating from the Antiquity until today. There’s a good reason why approximately one million visitors frequent it annually. Come here to appreciate the exhibitions covering all areas related to art, including cinema, music, fashion, illustrations, painting and more.
A must-see Montreal museum is Pointe-à-Callière, located on the Place Royale (near Place-d'Armes and Square-Victoria metro stations), where Montreal was founded. Explore our city’s foundation by closely observing the archaeological site upon which the museum is housed, which provides a glimpse into human activity dating back more than 1,000 years.
Try passing by this institution located on Mont-Royal without being tempted to stop by and visit. The museum is conveniently located on chemin Queen-Mary, close to Snowdon metro station or the Côte-des-Neiges metro station. A religious background isn’t required in order to appreciate the exhibitions dedicated to sacred art in Quebec and beyond! Don’t miss The Oratory's Nativity Scenes, a permanent exhibition that presents nearly 200 works from 100 countries.
Located on Place d'Youville (near Place d'Armes and Square-Victoria metro stations), the Montreal History Centre showcases, across three floors, the many facets of the history of the great metropolis of Quebec, from its origins in 1642 to today. Do you know your city well? It’s yours to (re)discover.
It is in an effort to honour our duty to remember that we visit this establishment on Côte-Sainte-Catherine (near the metro station of the same name). The centre's mission is to raise awareness of the horrors of the Holocaust and to provide educational elements regarding racism, tolerance, anti-Semitism, etc. The centre honours those who lost their lives and those who survived the Holocaust by ensuring that we never forget them.
It is in Pointe-Saint-Charles that we find this former 17th century farmhouse that once housed the King's Daughters (Filles du Roy). They are obviously no longer there today, but a visit to this spacious home takes us back to the everyday rural life of the time period.
Probably one of the most festive and welcoming Montreal museums, the Écomusée du fier monde on rue Amherst (near Berri-UQAM metro station) has set up shop in a former bathhouse and invites us to revisit the industrial revolution with its permanent exhibitions illustrating "the ups and downs of a neighbourhood." Central to its mission: education and participatory projects.
This historical monument in Old Montreal, located on rue Notre-Dame Est (near Champ-de-Mars metro station), takes visitors on a journey to 500 years ago through a multimedia course offered in six languages, a garden worthy of the New France era, and temporary exhibitions. There’s a reason Château Ramezay is part of the 1,001 historical sites to see, according to a list drawn up by UNESCO and other experts.
If you appreciate the seventh art, extend your gratitude to this institution located on boulevard Maisonneuve Est (near Berri-UQAM metro station). Now a little more than half a century old, this museum aims to promote our film culture by acquiring, presenting and preserving films, as well as offering retrospectives and exceptional exhibitions.
Head to Saint Helen's Island (near Jean-Drapeau metro station) to visit this museum dedicated to the environment. This unique structure by American architect Buckminster Fuller housed the United States pavilion during the Montreal World's Fair of 1967. Unused for a long time, this huge steel structure now covers a museum particularly dedicated to the understanding of biodiversity, climate change and sustainable development. The Biosphère provides an ideal day out for the entire family, and a way to better understand the world around us and the challenges that we now face.