Noah CôtéThe 10 best museums in Montreal that history and art lovers should explore
When I first went into a Montreal museum, I expected the usual—quiet halls, glass cases, and a few paintings I’d pretend to understand. Instead, I found myself swept into a place where history and art weren’t just displayed, but alive.
From artefacts that tell stories to contemporary exhibits that challenge the present, Montreal’s museums have a way of pulling you in and refusing to let go.
Whether you love history or culture, this city has a collection of museums that will leave you inspired.
And if you’re not sure which museums you should visit first, I’ve got you! Here are the best museums in Montreal that every history and art lover should explore
1. McCord Stewart Museum
Media credit: museemccordstewart
Website: https://www.musee-mccord-stewart.ca/en/
Address: 690 Sherbrooke St W
Contact Details: +1 514 861 6701 and [email protected]
Operating Hours:
- Tuesday to Sunday – 10 AM to 5 PM
Pricing: $$
McCord Stewart Museum in Montreal focuses on the city’s history, including the diversity of its communities, issues of identity, and more. This would be a great first destination if you want to dig deep into the city’s roots.
The museum stores an impressive collection. It houses thousands of fashion accessories, indigenous objects, and photos.
My favourite is the Notman Photographic Archives, a collection of photos captured by William Notman, a visionary photographer.
The museum’s Indigenous Voices of Today exhibition features three main themes: knowledge, trauma, and resilience. I really admired Élisabeth Kaine’s (the exhibit’s director) dedication to getting testimonials from 11 indigenous nations after visiting.
| Pro Tip: Buy a ticket online to save $2. The museum is free after 5 PM every Wednesday, except for the 2nd exhibition, which is accessible at a reduced price of $10. Consider getting a membership for a one-time payment for all-year, unlimited access. |
2. Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
Media credit: mbamtl
Website: https://www.mbam.qc.ca/en/
Address: 1380 Sherbrooke St W
Contact Details: +1 514 285 2000
Operating Hours:
- Tuesday – 10 AM to 5 PM
- Wednesday – 10 AM to 9 PM
- Thursday to Sunday – 10 AM to 5 PM
Pricing: $$$
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, commonly known as MMFA, is one of Canada’s largest and most prestigious art museums. With almost 50,000 collections from ancient to contemporary art, it’s impossible not to see something here that will impress you.
It’s strategically organised into six major sections, spread throughout its five pavilions, with each pavilion showcasing particular strengths of the collections. You’ll see paintings, sculptures, and more.
The section I like most is the Inuit Art. It features artworks from the late 1940s to the present from different Inuit artists from across Inuit Nunangat. There are paintings, sculptures, and much more.
| Pro Tip: Visit when the weather is great, so you can also enjoy the sculptures in the garden. Since there are many pavilions, decide in advance what categories interest you to save some time during your visit. |
3. Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History
Media credit: pointeacalliere
Website: https://pacmusee.qc.ca/en/
Address: 350 Place Royale
Contact Details: +1 514 872 9150 and [email protected]
Operating Hours:
- Tuesday to Friday – 10 AM to 5 PM
- Saturday and Sunday – 11 AM to 5 PM
Pricing: $$$
It’s worth mentioning that the Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History was built on top of Montreal’s birthplace. Here, you’ll watch videos projected over archaeological remains and enjoy exhibitions of civilisations and history.
One of the museum’s permanent exhibitions I like is the Crossroads Montreal. It takes visitors through the actual archaeological remains under a former cemetery (scary, isn’t it?). You’re basically walking through history.
If I have to pick a favourite, though, it’ll be the Memory Collector exhibition. It features the William collector sewer, Montreal’s first-ever collector sewer.
Throughout the 110-metre walk, you’ll see artistic lights on the stone wall and hear carefully made sounds.
| Pro Tip: To complete the experience, buy souvenirs in their shop. Consider whether you’re comfortable in confined or low-lit spaces, as some areas of the museum are situated underground with dim lighting. |
4. OASIS Immersion
Media credit: oasisimmersion
Website: https://oasis.im/
Address: 301 Rue Saint-Antoine O
Contact Details: +1 438 813 7878 and [email protected]
Operating Hours:
- Wednesday – 4 PM to 8 PM
- Thursday – 12 PM to 2 PM, 4 PM to 8 PM
- Friday – 12 PM to 8 PM
- Saturday – 10 AM – 2:20 PM, 4 PM to 8 PM
- Sunday – 10 AM – 2:20 PM, 4 PM to 7 PM
Pricing: $$
OASIS Immersion isn’t just one of the best museums in Montreal; it’s also Canada’s largest permanent immersive attraction. It mainly showcases large-scale projections, surround sound, and walk-through galleries.
It consists of three immersive galleries: The Portal, The Teleporter, and The Panorama. The experience begins in the area they call The Anticipation Room, which has bright lights and surround sound.
I noticed that some temporary exhibitions are based on current social media trends, including local and international people and places. It makes the place very relatable and emotionally attractive to visitors.
| Pro Tip: If your group consists of 20 people or more, fill out the group booking form on their website in advance. Be patient, as there are times when you need to wait when the time slot you booked is full. |
5. Château Ramezay
Media credit: Chateauramezay
Website: https://www.chateauramezay.qc.ca/en/
Address: 280 Notre-Dame St. East
Contact Details: +1 514 861 3708 and [email protected]
Operating Hours:
- Monday to Sunday – 10 AM to 5 PM
Pricing: $
Château Ramezay is one of the oldest buildings in Montreal, dating back to the early 1700s (over three centuries!). Not only that, it’s also the oldest private historical museum in Quebec.
It houses over 30,000 artefacts, including manuscripts, furniture, and artworks. According to our tour guide, most artefacts are remnants of the early colonial period.
It has three permanent exhibitions, each providing a distinct experience from the others. The one I love is Hochalega, Ville-Marie and Montreal, an exhibition with artefacts from the early 20th century. The city’s first-ever registered automobile lies here.
| Pro Tip: Consider booking a guided tour for more context on the building, gardens, and the artefacts. Since it’s a historic house, expect small rooms and narrow stairs. |
6. Montreal Science Centre
Media credit: centredessciences
Website: https://www.montrealsciencecentre.com/
Address: 2 De la Commune St W
Contact Details: +1 514 496 4724
Operating Hours:
- Monday to Friday – 9 AM to 4 PM
- Saturday and Sunday – 10 AM to 5 PM
Pricing: $$$
The Montreal Science Centre is extremely popular with families due to its interactive exhibits, which are enjoyable and educational for all ages. I highly recommend this for a weekend family day out.
If your kids are seven and below, go to their Mini Mondo. It’s one of the favourite exhibitions of kids since it’s full of fun, interactive adventures.
The experience will allow your kiddos to exercise their five senses while discovering what a city, a river, and a forest are.
For adults, step into the Human exhibition. It’s another interactive adventure that will show your relevance in human evolution. I enjoyed the futuristic technologies it has, such as a robot arm and human-machine interfaces.
| Pro Tip: Visit in the morning to avoid large crowds. You may also check special exhibit schedules and book in advance for IMAX or other shows, as they tend to sell out fast. |
7. Museum of Illusions Montreal
Media credit: s.d.captures and museumofillusions_montreal
Website: https://moimontreal.com/en/
Address: 44 Rue Saint-Antoine O
Contact Details: +1 514 665 7073 and [email protected]
Operating Hours:
- Sunday to Thursday – 10 AM to 8 PM
- Friday and Saturday – 10 AM to 9 PM
Pricing: $$
After visiting multiple museums in Montreal, I found the Museums of Illusions to be a less formal museum. It leans more on entertainment.
It contains three exhibit categories that will make you suspicious of your own eyes and reality. There are optical rooms that will play tricks on your mind, images that will make you question what you see, and more.
My friends and I had a lot of fun with the interactive, confusing illusions and optical exhibits they have.
We liked the Reverse Room exhibition the most. The upside-down room gave me mixed emotions that were very difficult to explain the first time I saw it.
| Pro Tip: Don’t forget to bring your camera, as taking photos and videos is highly encouraged. Children four years and under are free of admission. They don’t have a parking space, but there are parking options nearby, such as the Indigo M183 parking lot. |
8. MEM Centre des mémoires montréalaises
Media credit: from memory
Website: https://memmtl.ca/en/
Address: 1210 St Laurent Blvd
Contact Details: +1 514 872 3207 and [email protected]
Operating Hours:
- Tuesday to Sunday – 11 AM to 8 PM
Pricing: $
Commonly referred to as MEM, this Montreal museum is another ideal destination to get to know the city more. It focuses on keeping Montreal’s local stories and relevant histories alive for the next generation to discover.
I enjoyed their only permanent exhibition, simply titled Montreal (sometimes called “What is, who is Montreal?”). It highlights what unites and differentiates people there at the same time through many personal anecdotes.
What’s impressive about the permanent exhibition is the way it presents the city’s overall identity with its people’s differences.
| Pro Tip: A group of at least 12 people can get over $5 discount for every ticket, so bring the whole family. Children 12 years and below are free of charge. |
9. Bank of Montreal Museum
Media credit: maxybearen_and_mr.monkey
Website: https://ourheritagebmo.com/museum/
Address: 129 Rue Saint-Jacques
Contact Details: +1 514 877 6810
Operating Hours:
- Monday to Friday – 9 AM to 5 PM
Pricing: Free
Of course, this blog will be a lot more interesting with the inclusion of at least one entry that’s totally free of admission. Founded in 1817, the Bank of Montreal is the oldest bank in Canada. If you view it from the outside, it gives a Roman building vibe.
The free museum mainly features old currencies, previous photos of the bank, and some artworks.
You can explore the whole museum in just over an hour, so you don’t need to rush if you really want to savour the experience.
| Pro Tip: Contact them before visiting, as they sometimes open late and close earlier than their usual operating hours. |
10. MAC Museum of Contemporary Art
Media credit: artpublicmtl and macmontreal
Website: https://macm.org/en/
Address: Niveau Galerie, Pl. Ville-Marie Local 11220
Contact Details: +1 514 847 6226 and [email protected]
Operating Hours:
- Tuesday to Friday – 11:30 AM to 7 PM
- Saturday – 11 AM to 6 PM
- Sunday – 11 AM to 5:30 PM
Pricing: $
For art lovers and enthusiasts, there’s no better museum to be at than the MAC Museum of Contemporary Art. This is Montreal’s main museum for contemporary art. It showcases current art, new media, and even experimental masterpieces.
The museum houses almost 8,000 artworks from various artists and eras. The piece of art that captivated me most is Abramovic and Ulay’s Saturday, a Polaroid artwork featuring what seemed to me a man’s silhouette.
What’s even better is that you will also find works of art outside the museum’s premises. The one I love most is La Joute, a beautiful fountain sculpture made by Jean-Paul Riopelle. It would be a good addition to your Instagram grid.
| Pro Tip: Utilise the MACrépertoire platform for complete information on the museum’s collections. |
