As one of the oldest cities in Canada, there’s plenty of history and culture in Quebec. To help explore it, here are some of the top museums in the area.
Museums in Quebec City
Museums are some of the most fascinating places to explore in any city. Quebec is no different, with a number of great institutions worth visiting. This article contains some of the best on offer.
Érico Chocolate Shop and Museum
This museum is much smaller than most of the other ones on this list, but it’s quite a sweet place (pun intended). Located at 634 Saint-Jean Street, Érico is a shop where you can buy all manner of delectable treats. It also contains a small museum that covers the history of chocolate and the chocolate-making process. Admission to the museum is free and guests can explore the exhibit at their leisure. While there, check out the chocolate makers as they work. Also, make sure to sample some of the desserts on display!
For more information visit the Érico Chocolatier website.
Le Monastère des Augustines
This is another place that is both part-museum and part-something else. Le Monastère is at the site of Quebec’s oldest hospital, built by the Augustinian Sisters back in the 1600s. Today, it’s been converted into a holistic hotel and wellness centre, with a museum that keeps the history of the Augustinian Sisters alive. There are many different artifacts in its collections, from art to religious items to medical equipment and more. The museum is located at 77 Rue des Remparts.
To learn more click Le Monastère des Augustines.
Augustinian Monastery Museum
Morrin Centre
Located at 44 Chaussée des Écossais, the Morrin Centre is on the site of the city’s first prison. Back in the 18th century it held prisoners of war captured in Quebec and elsewhere,. It was also used as a military barracks. Today, the venue is a cultural centre and there are various tours on offer. They include one where you can examine jail cells still in the condition they were a couple centuries ago. As well, the Morrin Centre has Quebec City’s only English language-only library, which dates back to the Victorian era.
To learn more check out the Morrin Centre website.
Musée de la Civilisation
One of the top museums in the entire province, Quebec’s Museum of Civilization is located at 85 Dalhousie Street in Lower Old Quebec. The museum includes a very interactive wing with the Observe exhibition. This section of the building contains various puzzles, a mirror maze and a pitch black room that allows you to experience what it’s like to be blind. On top of that there are exhibitions about indigenous history, the history of the settlement of Quebec up to the present day, and rotating feature exhibitions brought in from around the world.
For more details click Musée de la Civilisation.
Musée du Fort
The Musée du Fort is located at 10 Sainte-Anne Street, very close to the Château Frontenac. The highlight of this museum is its sound and light show that runs for 30 minutes beginning at the top of every hour. Using a massive model of the city and its surrounding area, the show covers the military history of Quebec through a series of six sieges and their accompanying battles. On top of its exhibits showcasing the military history of the region, the museum offers guided walking tours of Old Quebec.
To learn more visit the Musée du Fort website.
Musee du Fort
Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Quebec
The biggest art museum in the city, this complex focuses mainly on the works of local artists. Of the over 40,000 pieces of art in its collections, more than half of them were created in Quebec and/or by Quebecois artists. Made up of multiple buildings, there is no better place to experience the artistic history of the province along with other exhibitions that include Inuit and other Indigenous art. There are public workshops held in the Family Gallery and usually some outdoor exhibits as well. The museum is located at 179 Grande Allée West.
For more details click Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Quebec.
Plains of Abraham Museum
This museum serves as the entrance to the famous park and has exhibitions all about the Battle of the Plains of Abraham. There are video screenings, large-scale replicas and plenty of artifacts from the time of the battle centuries ago. During the summer there are normally re-enactments of the fighting that bring the whole time period to life once again. Many tours begin at the museum and it’s a great place to learn about this seminal moment in Quebec’s history.
For more information check out the Plains of Abraham website.
Plains of Abraham Museum
Pôle Culturel du Monastère des Ursulines
The Monastère des Ursulines complex is a National Historic Site of Canada and contains this museum that showcases the religious and cultural history of the Ursuline order in Quebec. Located at 12 Donnacona Street, this complex includes Canada’s first ever girls’ school, and it continues to operate as a teaching centre today. The museum’s permanent exhibitions include plenty of displays of this Young Ladies Academy that served as a boarding school in the 19th century.
To learn more click Pôle Culturel du Monastère des Ursulines.
Royal 22e Régiment Museum
This museum is located in the Citadelle which is the oldest active military fortress in North America. The Royal 22e Régiment originated as Canada’s sole French-language-only infantry regiment, and through to the present day the Citadelle serves as their headquarters. The museum covers not only the regiment’s history but the history of the Citadelle as a whole, dating back over three centuries. During the summer the site hosts military events like the Changing of the Guard and the Beating of the Retreat that are open for the public to enjoy.
For more information visit the La Citadelle de Quebec website.
Other Information
Other articles that might be of interest include the following:
To learn about museums in a number of other Canadian cities, visit the following websites:
- MontrealsBestPlaces.com
- OttawasBestPlaces.com
- TorontosBestPlaces.com
- VancouversBestPlaces.com
- VictoriasBestPlaces.com