Montreal's museums

The McCord Museum is the museum of all Montrealers, a social history museum that celebrates life in Montreal, both past and present—its history, its people, and its communities. Open to the city and the world, the Museum presents exciting exhibitions, educational programming and cultural activities that offer a contemporary perspective on history, engaging visitors from Montreal, Canada and beyond. It is home to over 1.5 million artefacts, comprising one of the largest historical collections in North America, organized into the following categories: Dress, Fashion and Textiles, Photography, Indigenous Cultures, Documentary Art, Material Culture and Archives. McCord Museum: Our People, Our Stories.

Located along the St. Lawrence River, Maison Nivard-De Saint-Dizier is an outstanding example of rural architecture in the early days of the French regime. The foundations of the house, built in 1710, sit on the largest pre-historical archeological site on the island of Montréal, revealing Amerindian occupation that dates back over 5, 500 years ago.

The Avataq Cultural Institute preserves and celebrates the Inuktitut language and contemporary Inuit culture of Nunavik, with artworks and documentary, photographic and audiovisual archives as well as pieces from Nunavik’s archaeological and material culture.

In the very heart of the former Pied-du-Courant prison – where more than 1300 Patriotes were imprisoned and, in somecases executed – you can explore the history of the Rebellion of 1837-1838. Discover a moment in history that is indelibly stamped on Quebec’s collective memory, and let yourself be transported by the Patriotes’ spirit of freedom and democracy.

In addition to the permanent exhibitions – Where Montréal Began, Memory Collector, Building Montréal, Crossroads Montréal, Archaeo-Adventure and Come Aboard! Pirates or Privateers? – The Museum also presents Generations MTL, an avant-garde multimedia extravaganza on the history of the city. Every year, the Museum also holds national and international temporary exhibitions as well as a full and constantly changing program of cultural activities for young people and families. Check our website.

Visit Maison Le Ber-Le Moyne, the oldest complete building on Montréal Island. Explore Lachine’s heritage in the temporary exhibition.

The MAC presents temporary exhibitions devoted to outstanding and relevant current artists who provide their own, particular insight into our society, as well as exhibitions of works drawn from the museum’s collection.

The Regimental Museum retraces the history and exploits of the oldest francophone Montréal battalion in the Canadian Armed Forces: Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal. It is housed in a magnificent armoury, declared a historic and heritage site by the city of Montréal. The building alone is worth a visit.