Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

Few museums in Canada have been around as long as the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. It began in 1860 as the Art Association of Montreal, founded by local citizens who wanted a gallery in the city, and over a century and a half it has grown into the largest art museum in Quebec. The museum sits at 1380 Sherbrooke Street West, in the district known as the Golden Square Mile, where grand 19th-century mansions once stood. Today it occupies a cluster of linked buildings on both sides of the street, joined by an underground passage.

The oldest part is the Beaux-Arts building from 1912, with a classical facade of white marble that suits the formal avenue. Across the street, the Jean-Noël Desmarais Pavilion, designed by Moshe Safdie and opened in 1991, is a modern counterpart with a large glass atrium and galleries for European art, Indigenous art and contemporary work. A further pavilion, named for Claire and Marc Bourgie, occupies a former church with fine stained glass and hosts Quebec and Canadian art together with chamber music concerts. A newer building focuses on peace and houses large international collections, and a pavilion for decorative arts and design shows furniture, glass, ceramics and silver.

The collections are wide. Quebec and Canadian art holds an important place, with works by the Group of Seven, by the Automatistes such as Paul-Émile Borduas and Jean-Paul Riopelle, and by many other artists who shaped the Quebec scene. International holdings cover Old Masters, Impressionists, ancient Mediterranean and Near Eastern art, and arts of Asia and Africa. Inuit and First Nations art is well represented. The contemporary and design galleries, along with major temporary exhibitions, change regularly, so visitors often discover something new on a return visit.

The museum is part of daily life in Montreal, with talks, workshops, concerts and family programmes, and its membership scheme encourages repeat visits. Visitors in groups should reserve ahead, and the museum has accessibility services for those with mobility needs. Admission rules, concession rates and special free times change, so check the website for current pricing, hours and exhibitions. Crescent Street and Mount Royal are within walking distance, and Guy-Concordia and Peel metro stations are close.

Art lovers will want a half day, though a first visit can be done in two hours.