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

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 4.7 out of 5 Star Rating

5 Star Rating What a fantastic museum experience! They offered free tickets for the holidays, which was such a generous gesture. The art collections were incredible, with a mix of classic and modern pieces that cater to all tastes. It was a bit crowded, as expected with the free entry, but everyone was very respectful, and the atmosphere remained calm and enjoyable. The staff were also friendly and helpful, making the visit even better. If you’re looking for something inspiring and fun to do this holiday season, I highly recommend checking it out!
Chloe Dinh - a month ago

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4 Star Rating This museum features a lot of works by local Canadian artists, making it a great place to explore Canadian art. It’s also one of Montreal’s iconic buildings. The architecture and gallery layouts are amazing—the building itself feels like a piece of art in the city. The exhibition spaces are huge and spread out across different sections, each with its own style but all beautifully connected. The design is brilliant! 👍 I’d recommend setting aside half a day to visit.
Halo W - 2 weeks ago

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5 Star Rating It was good to be here on a Wednesday, except I did the wrong thing by going there at 4 p.m, since they start closing off the permanent artwork buildings for Culture Wednesdays. It's best to choose any other day if you are paying full price, else the temporary exhibitions are open after 5 pm at a discounted price. They also have a nice gift shop, I almost picked up a bunch of things but I'm sure I would not have been able to bring it back to Toronto.
Prima Melissa D'souza - a week ago

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4 Star Rating Amazing place to visit if you love art, architecture or are in need of an activity to do. If you’re visiting for the general museum it’s free which is wonderful and it’s not too expensive to see the exhibits once they come in. I would suggest not coming by car but instead taking the metro or bus. Most people don’t know that many of napoleons personal items are in this museum, so go see that if you’re a history buff!
wooonewrt - 2 weeks ago

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5 Star Rating The best museum of Montreal and if you’re interested in arts, then it’s the must go to place. It has a good collection of arts (paintings,installations, modern, contemporary, etc). The museum actually spans over a large, all cannot be covered in few hours. You need almost a day. Also, it workshops and festivals for all kinds of people. It also offers for learning arts, especially for kids.
Poonam Giri - 2 weeks ago

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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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