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
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
Fee: Yes; Free admission to children under 12.The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts Hours:
Opening hours may differ on holidays
- Monday: Closed
- 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
Address: 1380 Rue Sherbrooke O, Montréal, QC H3G 1J5, Canada
Phone: (514) 285-2000
Official Website: The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts Reviews
Rated out of 5
The artworks collection in this gallery is absolutely astonishing. Im not an arts expert, not even close, but definitely appreciate the legacy all those painters and other artists left behind. I dont even think a day would be enough if you read all the descriptions attached to the paintings. At the time of my visit there was a Kent Monkman exhibition, which completely amazed me with its quality and meaning.
Stan Cvetanov - 3 weeks ago
I visited the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and really enjoyed it. The collection is wide and thoughtful, mixing classic works with more contemporary pieces, and the building itself is beautiful. It’s calm, spacious, and great for wandering at your own pace. The layout can be a bit confusing, but overall it’s absolutely worth a visit if you want a quiet, reflective cultural break in Montreal.
George Chalhoub - 3 weeks ago
Really impressive museum. An incredible amount of things to see, no way you could reasonably get done in a single day. Sadly I only saw one compter-based art piece (the thermal camera particle display), but there was a TON of traditional art. I really enjoyed the Kent Monkman exhibit, and the design collection was both interesting and impressive. There's also a decent amount of benches to sit on which is greatly appreciated.
Guillaume Couture-Lévesque - a month ago
Impressive museum. A wide range of interesting exhibits. We went with 5-year-old kids - there was a nice play area, and also a Fimo crafting area. But even the kids were impressed by the exhibits themselves. On the left at the entrance, there's a free bag and coat check service. We parked nearby in a street with a meter."
Yo Sch - a month ago
big museum distributed in 4 venues, you can get to the others via underground passage (very montreal) at moments it feels like a maze.
it has a good curation, the museography is a bit off and can lack a bit of cohesiveness, from around the world art the selection was jot that varied. great pieces and a great museum to spend lot of time.
their cafe is quiet and good
Alfredo Gayou - 4 weeks ago
Directions
| Metro Line | Nearest Station | Walking Time |
|---|---|---|
| Line 1 -Green | Guy-Concordia | 6 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
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Inside the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts cc licensed photo by Paul Lowry -
A view toward Mont Royal form inside the Musee des Beaux Arts cc licensed photo by John Walker -
Colorful glass art exhibition cc licensed photo by bobistraveling -
Photo Credit: art_inthecity - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: art_inthecity - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: art_inthecity - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: art_inthecity - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: art_inthecity - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: art_inthecity - cc license via Flickr -
Photo Credit: art_inthecity - cc license via Flickr
