Montreal Museums

Montreal is one of the world's unsung cultural centers. It combines its French influences with its Canadian wilderness roots to create a fresh take on North American culture. It is home to a fantastic array of museums, featuring all forms of media and subject. The array of museums in Montreal is staggering, from art to history to architecture and nature. And the city's museums will leave you with a newfound appreciation for the city and its people.

History

To get a taste of Montreal's history, make your first stop the McCord Museum of Canadian History. It documents the nation's vibrant history and offers great education displays on the country's growth and development. Additionally, the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Center displays more than 7,500 objects, documents, and photographs from the era, and the museum is generally regarded as the most moving of all of the institutions in the city. Lastly, to take in some living history, head to the Old Montreal section of the downtown area. Many buildings were constructed in the 17th and 18th centuries, letting you walk through history and see what life was like in a bygone era.

Environment

Montreal is also home to the Biosphere, an environmental museum. Its enormous glass dome houses several different biomes, and it features exhibits on all kinds of environmental issues. In the same educational vein, you might find the Montreal Planetarium interesting. To round out the selection of museums devoted to the sciences, take a walk through the Botanical Gardens. Here you'll find more than 22,000 plant species, ten greenhouses, and thirty themed gardens.

Art

Montreal also has several notable art museums. The Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art houses all sorts of art forms and focuses on art done by local Quebec artists. DHC/Art is another home for contemporary art, displaying many traveling art shows. If you'd like to see more refined art, head to the Montreal Museum of Fine Art. It is home to many fine works, and the city's French roots have influenced its excellence.

Architecture

If you'd like to see something other than art, take a tour through the Canadian Center for Architecture. As the name suggests, it offers information and exhibits focusing on Canada's architectural history. It also displays current research in architecture and design and strives to portray architecture as art. The Canadian Railway Museum is devoted to architecture in motion, documenting the growth of Canada's rail system and its infrastructure.

Montreal's museums are some of the city's biggest attractions. Be sure to see what the museums in Montreal have to offer the next time you visit.

Check out Montreal tours for more sightseeing.