Montréal museums for history buffs

Pointe-à-Callière, Montréal Archaeology and History Complex

The birthplace of Montréal and a national historic and archaeological site, Pointe-à-Callière brings history to life through permanent exhibitions featuring innovative multimedia technologies. It also presents temporary exhibitions on the world’s great civilizations, near and far, plus a full calendar of cultural activities for the whole family. Pointe-à-Callière is also home to a gift shop and L’Arrivage Bistro. Click here for more info.

Château Ramezay – Historic Site and Museum of Montréal

Originally built in 1705 by Montréal’s then-governor Claude de Ramezay as his personal residence, the Château Ramezay is the oldest private historical museum in Québec. Permanent and temporary exhibitions showcase Montreal’s cultural heritage and the city’s evolution. Visitors can explore period rooms, gardens and artifacts. Fun fact: Benjamin Franklin was a guest there in 1776 when the Château Ramezay served as the Canadian headquarters of the American Revolutionary Army, when Franklin to persuade Montréal to join the American Revolution. Click here for more info.

Marguerite Bourgeoys Historic Site

Visitors are transported back through time at the Marguerite Bourgeoys Historic Site which commemorates the life and legacy of Marguerite Bourgeoys who founded Montréal’s first school and the Congrégation de Notre-Dame. Built in 1771 over the ruins of its 1675 chapel, the Marguerite Bourgeoys Historic Site houses the Chapel of Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours – known as the “Sailors’ Church” pilgrimage site – and a museum dedicated to Bourgeoys who is buried in the chapel and was canonized by the Vatican in 1982. Its belvedere offers spectacular views of the Old Port. Click here for more info.

Sir George-Étienne Cartier National Historic Site

The Sir George-Étienne Cartier National Historic Site commemorates the life and accomplishments of one of the Fathers of Confederation, Sir George-Étienne Cartier. With its beautifully restored interior, the Cartier family’s 19^th century Victorian former home explores Cartier’s contributions to Confederation and the rights of French Canadians. Click here for more info.

McCord Stewart Museum

The McCord Stewart Museum is a museum of social history that celebrates life in Montréal, past and present: its history, its people, its communities. It is home to one of the largest historical collections in North America, consisting of more than 1.5 million artifacts, including the Notman Photographic Archives. The museum organizes guided outdoor tours, and is home to a boutique and the Café Notman. Click here for more info.

The MEM – Centre des mémoires montréalaises

Located at the corner of Saint-Laurent Boulevard and Saint Catherine Street West in the heart of the Quartier des Spectacles, the MEM – Centre des mémoires montréalaises is a museum and civic space dedicated to preserving the oral history of Montréal. The MEM’s permanent exhibition MONTRÉAL showcases some 100 unique life stories that have shaped the city, whose first-hand accounts answer the questions, “What is, who is Montréal?” There is also a superb café, gift shop and cabaret hall where various cultural activities and events are presented year-round.

Redpath Museum

Located at McGill University, the Redpath Museum of natural history opened in 1882, an architectural jewel that looks like it came straight out of an Indiana Jones movie. Its permanent collection contains some three million objects, including Ancient Egyptian mummies, a Charles Darwin exhibition, a spectacular minke whale skeleton in its Creatures From the Deep exhibition, as well as its jaw-dropping Gorgosaurus dinosaur in the centre of the museum’s Beaux Arts main gallery. Click here for more info.

Montréal Holocaust Museum

The mission of the Montréal Holocaust Museum is to educate people of all ages and backgrounds about the Holocaust, while sensitizing the public to the perils of antisemitism, racism, hate and indifference. Their History of the Holocaust Told by Survivors permanent exhibition features artifacts donated by Holocaust survivors living in Montréal, home to the third-largest Holocaust survivor population in the world. The MHM will move into its new $120 million museum on Saint Laurent Boulevard in the Plateau in 2026. Click here for more info.

Saint Joseph’s Oratory Museum

A designated National Historic Site of Canada, more than 2 million people visit Saint Joseph’s Oratory and its museum each year. The Catholic Basilica’s exterior was designed following the lines of the Italian Renaissance, its colonnade features Corinthian-style pillars, and its dome is the highest point in Montréal. The founder of Saint Joseph’s Oratory, Saint Andre Bessette was canonized by the Vatican in 2010.  The tomb of Saint André rests in an alcove in the middle of the Votive Chapel. The Oratory museum is located in the heart of the Basilica (level 5), is principally dedicated to religious art and renowned for its exceptional collection of creches from the world over. Click here for more info.

Musée Eudore-Dubeau

Dedicated to the history and evolution of dentistry in Quebec, the Musée Eudore-Dubeau at the Université de Montréal is temporarily closed for renovations. Click here for more info.

Musée des Hospitalières de l’Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal

Housed within the historic Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal, Canada’s first hospital founded in 1642, the Musée des Hospitalières de l’Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal opened in 1992 to mark Montréal’s 350^th anniversary. Its permanent exhibition chronicles the origins of Montréal, the history of the Hôtel-Dieu, and the Hospitalières of Saint-Joseph. The unique collection also documents the evolution of medicine, nursing and health crises in Montréal over the centuries. The museum also presents temporary exhibitions, and offers group and school tours. Click here for more info.

Centre Marius-Barbeau

Named after the founder of professional folklore studies in Canada and one of the first collectors of folk songs, the Centre Marius-Barbeau was established in 1977 to explore, document and celebrate the cultural heritage of Quebec and the rich tapestry of its folk traditions, including those of the First Nations and the ethnic communities. Through exhibitions, workshops and performances, visitors can explore the music, dance, crafts and storytelling traditions that have shaped Quebec’s identity. Click here for more info.

Écomusée du fier monde

Located in the former Généreux public bath, the Écomusée du fier monde is a history museum that showcases Montreal's industrial and working-class heritage and promotes grassroots involvement via its exhibitions, publications, cultural activities and educational programs. The museum continues to reflect the pride of an entire community. Click here for more info.

Château Dufresne

Once the residence of Montréal’s well-to-do Dufresne brothers Oscar and Marius, the Château Dufresne is a stunning Beaux-Arts mansion and heritage site. With its opulent interiors, decorative arts, and rotating temporary exhibitions, Château Dufresne offers a glimpse into early 20th-century Montréal society and creativity. Visitors will see secular masterpieces of Italian-born artist Guido Nincheri along with interior decorations and painted furniture by the Belgian painter Alfred Faniel. Click here for more info.

La-Prison-des-Patriotes

The Prison-des-Patriotes “Au-Pied-du-Courant” at Centre-Sud is a former prison where many French-Canadian Patriotes were incarcerated between 1837 and 1840 – and where 12 of them were hanged for high treason – for rebelling against the British Crown. The heritage site is now home to La-Prison-des-Patriotes exhibition centre whose permanent exhibition is called “Between armed resistance and insurrection, Chapter 2”. Outside stands a monument dedicated to the 12 Patriotes who died by hanging at the Pied-du-Courant prison in the winter of 1838–39. Click here for more info.

Afromusée

Located in Ville-Marie, the Afromusée preserves and promotes the rich heritage and contributions of African and Afro-descendant communities in Canada. The museum showcases exhibitions, artifacts and artworks that highlight the diverse experiences, struggles and achievements of Afro-Canadians. Click here for more info.

Maison Nivard-De Saint-Dizier

The historic house museum and archeological site showcases one of the oldest French-inspired rural houses dating back to New France. The foundations of the house, built in 1710, sit on the largest pre-historical archeological site on the island of Montréal. Archaeological excavations reveal the heritage site was home to First Nations dating back more than 5,500 years. Visitors can learn about the Indigenous peoples and European explorers through interpretive exhibits, demonstrations and guided tours. Click here for more info.

Musée des ondes Emile Berliner

Emile Berliner takes centre stage in the museum named for the inventor of the gramophone and the flat-disc record, located in Berliner’s manufacturing site, the old RCA building in Montréal’s St. Henri neighbourhood. The museum also celebrates the role of other Montreal companies associated with the history of recording, reproduction and broadcasting of sound and electromagnetic waves, who revolutionized the music industry in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries. Click here for more info.

Maison Saint-Gabriel Museum and Historic Site

Purchased in 1668 by Marguerite Bourgeoys, the first teacher in Ville-Marie (as Montréal was then called), this historic farmhouse and fieldstone barn located in Pointe-Saint-Charles were classified historic monuments in 1965, a year before they became a museum preserving the agricultural traditions, domestic life and religious heritage of New France. Visitors can explore the restored farmhouse, gardens and outbuildings, and immerse themselves in the daily routines and seasonal activities of the settlers. Click here for more info.

The Lachine Fur Trade National Historic Site 

With its stunning waterfront location on the Lachine Canal, the Lachine Fur Trade National Historic Site commemorates the vital role of the fur trade in shaping the history and economy of Canada. Through interpretive exhibits, demonstrations and guided tours of the 1803 stone warehouse, visitors learn about the Indigenous peoples and voyageurs who navigated these waterways during the fur trade era. The site reopens on June 15. Click here for more info.

Musée de Lachine

Located on the picturesque Lachine Canal, the Musée de Lachine’s mission is to conserve the Le Ber-Le Moyne National Heritage Site, a protected archeological collection and several 17^th century buildings, including the Maison Le Ber-Le Moyne, the oldest complete building in Montréal. More than 400 historical and archaeological objects illustrate the daily life of its occupants over the centuries. The museum is temporarily closed. Click here for more info.

Discover more exhibitions at Montréal museums :