The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
(Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal)

The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is a must see for all connoisseurs of fine arts

Jean-Noël Desmarais Pavilion - Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
Jean-Noël Desmarais Pavilion - Montreal Museum of Fine Arts Photo Bernard Fougères and Jean-François Lejeune

The world of fine art is rather a strange one. It allows you a glimpse into the minds of some of the world's greatest artists. The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal) allows you to take that look into the minds of artists and see their amazing works.

The museum was founded in 1860 by Bishop Fulford in an attempt to encourage the appreciation of fine arts in the people of Montreal. The museum started life as many artists do, as a nomadic display in a variety of venues around Montreal. Is was only in 1877 that a permanent home for the museum was donated by Benaiah Gibb along with his collection of 72 canvases and 4 bronzes. Since then the collection has grown exponentially. There are now over 38 000 different works of art displayed in the museum's collections.

The works of art are displayed in four pavilions and grouped into categories. This makes it much easier for you to see those pieces of art that relate to a period of interest. The Michal and Renata Hornstein Pavilion is dedicated to archaeology and world cultures, the Liliane and David M. Stewart pavilion displays art works related to decorative arts and design. The Jean-Noel Desmarais pavilion houses the early to modern international art collection as well as the international contemporary art collection. The Claire and Marie Bourgie pavilion contains Quebec and Canadian art for something a little closer to home. You can see images of some of the art contained here on the museum's website. They are truly something to behold!

The museum also displays themed exhibitions on a regular basis. This offers you the chance to see some truly famous works that would otherwise be kept in the storage facilities of the museum. These exhibits feature artists such as Jules de Balincourt and Laurent Craste.

If fine art is something that inspires you or if you simply want to be fascinated and beguiled with what goes on in the minds of our finest artists, then the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is the ideal museum to visit.

Facts For Your Visit

Official Website: The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

Fee: Yes; Free admission to children under 12.

Closed Now

Regular Hours:
Hours may be subject to change. Please verify on the official website.

  • Tuesday: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
  • Wednesday: 10:00 am - 9:00 pm
  • Thursday: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
  • Friday: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
  • Saturday: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
  • Sunday: 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Category: Art Museums

Address: 1380 Rue Sherbrooke O
Montreal, QC H3G 1J5
Canada

Phone: +1 514-285-2000

Reviews

Yelp Rating:
4.5 out of 5 4.5 Star Rating
Based on 242 Reviews.

See all reviews on Yelp

5 Star Rating A visit to Montréal has to include the Montreal Fine Arts Museum, the oldest art museum in Canada. While it could take several hours to see the permanent... Read More

Bernard N. Jan-26-2023

4 Star Rating I might've mentioned some point that reviews start to form in my mind before I ever leave a location. I must be honest with you all. The initial rating was... Read More

Mark T. May-28-2023

4 Star Rating I'm somewhere between a 3 and a 4 on this one. It's deceptive how large it is and at one point I felt straight up swindled, of course 2.5 hours later, that... Read More

Michael S. May-30-2023

Accommodations near The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts:

Directions

Metro Line Nearest Station Walking Time
Line 1 -GreenGuy-Concordia6 Minutes

How to get to The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts by Metro

By Metro: Take Line 1 to Guy-Concordia Station and take the Guy Street exit. Go right from the exit and then right again at the corner walking northeast along Blvd de Maisonneuve to Bishop Street; then go left to Sherbrooke Street W then go right to the museum entrance which is just ahead. Note that while the museum itself occupies 4 Pavilions inside separate buildings, access is only via the Jean-Noël Desmarais Pavilion at 1380 Sherbrooke Street West.

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Photo Gallery

Video


Video introduction to the Museum of Fine Arts in Montreal. (Spanish with English subtitles)

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