List of museums in Montreal facts for kids
Montreal is a big city in Quebec, Canada, and it's full of amazing places to explore! This article is a list of museums and art galleries you can visit in Montreal. These places are great for learning new things, seeing cool art, and discovering the city's history. We'll focus on museums you can actually visit, not just ones online.
Awesome Museums to Visit
Here's a list of some cool museums and galleries in Montreal:
- Artothèque de Montréal
- Location: La Petite-Patrie
- What you'll see: This place shows off modern art. It's a great spot to see what today's artists are creating!
- Bank of Montreal Museum
- Location: Old Montreal
- What you'll see: Learn about the history of the Bank of Montreal and see old coins. It's like a journey through money history!
- Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec
- Location: Quartier Latin
- What you'll see: This is a big library and archive. They often have changing exhibits about history and art from their huge collections.
- Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada Museum
- Location: Quartier des spectacles
- What you'll see: Discover the history and special items of the Black Watch, a famous Canadian army regiment.
- Canadian Aviation Heritage Centre
- Location: Macdonald Campus in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue
- What you'll see: See a collection of real aircraft and art all about flying! Perfect for aviation fans.
- Canadian Centre for Architecture
- Location: Shaughnessy Village
- What you'll see: This museum is all about architecture, which is the art of designing buildings. They have changing exhibits and the building itself is pretty cool, mixing new and old styles.
- Canadian Guild of Crafts
- Location: Golden Square Mile
- What you'll see: Explore beautiful Canadian crafts, including amazing art and sculptures made by Inuit and First Nations artists.
- Centre d'exposition de l'Université de Montréal
- Location: Côte-des-Neiges
- What you'll see: This is an art gallery from the Université de Montréal that features modern art.
- Centre d'histoire de Montréal
- Location: Old Montreal
- What you'll see: Dive into the history of Montreal itself! Learn how the city grew and changed over time.
- Chapelle historique du Bon-Pasteur
- Location: Quartier Latin
- What you'll see: This historic chapel hosts interesting art exhibits.
- Dufresne-Nincheri Museum
- Location: Hochelaga-Maisonneuve
- What you'll see: Visit a grand mansion from the 1910s and the art studio of Guido Nincheri, a famous artist.
- Château Ramezay - Musée et site historique de Montréal
- Location: Old Montreal
- What you'll see: Step back in time to the 18th century and learn about Montreal's early history and daily life.
- Cinémathèque québécoise
- Location: Quartier Latin
- What you'll see: Explore the world of film, television, and photography through their exhibits.
- Cité historia, musée d'histoire du Sault-au-Récollet
- Location: Sault-au-Récollet
- What you'll see: This museum is in an 18th-century historic house and mill, showing life from long ago.
- Darling Foundry
- Location: Faubourg des Récollets
- What you'll see: A cool visual arts center where you can see different kinds of art.
- DHC/ART
- Location: Old Montreal
- What you'll see: Another great spot for contemporary art, showing new and exciting works.
- Dorval Museum of Local History and Heritage
- Location: Lakeshore, Dorval
- What you'll see: Learn about the history of the Dorval area.
- Écomusée du fier monde
- Location: Gay Village
- What you'll see: Discover the history of the industrial and working-class people of south-central Montreal.
- Ecomuseum Zoo
- Location: Macdonald Campus in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue
- What you'll see: Meet live animals that are native to the Saint Lawrence River valley. It's a zoo focused on local wildlife!
- Fur Trade at Lachine National Historic Site
- Location: Lakeshore, Lachine
- What you'll see: Learn all about Montreal's important fur trading industry from the past.
- Galerie de l'UQAM
- Location: Quartier Latin
- What you'll see: A contemporary art gallery that's part of the Université du Québec à Montréal.
- Gallery X
- Location: Quartier Concordia
- What you'll see: This is a contemporary art gallery from Concordia University.
- Lachine Canal National Historic Site
- Location: Lakeshore, Lachine
- What you'll see: Visit the Lachine Visitor Services Centre to learn about the history of the Lachine Canal, an important waterway.
- Leonard & Bina Ellen Art Gallery
- Location: Quartier Concordia
- What you'll see: Another art gallery that's part of Concordia University.
- Maison Saint-Gabriel
- Location: Pointe-Saint-Charles
- What you'll see: Explore a 17th-century house and its gardens. They also have changing exhibits of old decorative arts.
- Marguerite Bourgeoys Museum
- Location: Old Montreal
- What you'll see: Visit a historic chapel and learn about the life of Marguerite Bourgeoys, a brave woman from the 17th century who helped found the city.
- McCord Museum
- Location: Downtown Montreal
- What you'll see: This museum covers Montreal's history and culture. They have many changing exhibits about art, heritage, and different cultures.
- Montreal Biodôme
- Location: Espace pour la vie
- What you'll see: Step into four different ecosystems, like a rainforest or a polar region, complete with their animals and plants!
- Montreal Biosphère
- Location: Saint Helen's Island
- What you'll see: Learn all about ecology, the environment, and how we can live in a way that protects our planet.
- Montreal Botanical Garden
- Location: Espace pour la vie
- What you'll see: Wander through beautiful themed gardens and greenhouses filled with plants from all over the world.
- Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre
- Location: Côte-des-Neiges
- What you'll see: This museum tells the important story of the Holocaust and teaches about the dangers of hate and prejudice.
- Montreal Insectarium
- Location: Espace pour la vie
- What you'll see: Get up close with live insects and learn all about the amazing world of bugs!
- Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
- Location: Golden Square Mile
- What you'll see: This is one of Canada's biggest art museums! It has art from Canada, Europe, Africa, ancient cultures, and much more.
- Planetarium
- Location: Espace pour la vie
- What you'll see: Explore the stars, planets, and galaxies in amazing shows under a giant dome.
- Montreal Science Centre
- Location: Old Port of Montreal
- What you'll see: A super fun place with interactive exhibits that let you explore science and technology with hands-on activities.
- Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal
- Location: Quartier des spectacles
- What you'll see: This museum is dedicated to contemporary art, showing the newest and most thought-provoking artworks.
- Musée de Lachine
- Location: Lakeshore, Lachine
- What you'll see: See history exhibits in the 17th-century LeBer-LeMoyne House, enjoy a sculpture garden, and check out art exhibits.
- Musée des Hospitalières de l'Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal
- Location: Pine Avenue
- What you'll see: Learn about the history of the Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal hospital, medicine, and religious art.
- Musée de Paléontologie et de l'Evolution
- What you'll see: This museum focuses on fossils and the geology of Canada, showing ancient life forms.
- Musée des maîtres et artisans du Québec
- Location: Cégep de Saint-Laurent campus in Saint-Laurent
- What you'll see: Discover modern crafts and art made by talented Quebec artists.
- Musée des ondes Emile Berliner
- Location: Saint-Henri
- What you'll see: Explore the history of sound! See old gramophones, radios, and learn how music and voices were recorded and broadcast.
- Musée des pompiers de Montréal
- Location: Mile End
- What you'll see: Learn about the history of firefighting in Montreal.
- Montreal Video Game Museum
- Location: Montreal
- What you'll see: This museum explores the history of video games, especially focusing on games made in Canada.
- Museum of Fashion
- Location: Old Montreal
- What you'll see: This museum is all about fashion and costumes through different eras.
- Museum of the Saint Joseph's Oratory of Mount Royal
- Location: Côte-des-Neiges
- What you'll see: Features Christian art from Quebec and around the world.
- Peter B. Yeomans Cultural Centre
- Location: Lakeshore, Dorval
- What you'll see: This center hosts various art exhibits.
- Pointe-à-Callière, Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History
- Location: Old Montreal
- What you'll see: This amazing museum explores the archaeology and history of Montreal, built right on top of old city ruins!
- Prison-des-Patriotes
- Location: Sainte-Marie
- What you'll see: Learn about the 1837-1838 rebellions in Lower Canada and the Patriote movement.
- Redpath Museum of Natural History
- Location: McGill University campus
- What you'll see: Part of McGill University, this museum has collections of fossils, minerals, and other natural history items.
- Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps Museum
- Location: CFB Montreal in Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve
- What you'll see: Learn about the history and special items of the Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps regiment.
- Royal Montreal Regiment Museum
- Location: Lower Westmount
- What you'll see: Discover the history and memorabilia of The Royal Montreal Regiment.
- SBC Gallery of Contemporary Art
- Location: Quartier des spectacles
- What you'll see: Another gallery dedicated to contemporary art.
- Sir George-Étienne Cartier National Historic Site
- Location: Old Montreal
- What you'll see: Visit a 19th-century Victorian house and learn about the life of Sir George-Étienne Cartier, an important figure in Canadian history.
- Stewart Hall Art Gallery
- Location: Lakeshore, Pointe-Claire
- What you'll see: This gallery features various art exhibits.
Museums That Are No Longer Open
Some museums in Montreal have closed their doors over the years. For example, the Just for Laughs Museum closed in 2010, and the Musée Grévin Montreal, a wax museum, closed in 2021. Sometimes, their collections are moved to other museums, like the McCord Museum or the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.
Montreal Museums Day
Every year in May, Montreal has a special event called Montreal Museums Day (Journée des musées montréalais). On this day, over 30 of the city's biggest museums and art galleries open their doors for free! They even stay open longer so more people can visit. To make it super easy to get around, the Montreal Transit Corporation provides free shuttle buses between the museums. This fun event first started in 1987.