The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

At over a hundred years old and still going strong, the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA) is more avant-garde and relevant than ever before. Driven by a daring and innovative approach, it has developed into a venerable museum complex revered by lovers of art, music and cinema from here and abroad.   

Founded in 1860, it was one of the first museums in North America to establish an encyclopaedic collection. Today, it comprises over 43 000 works from Antiquity to modern day.

Its five pavilions, each with a distinct vocation and architectural style, meld beautifully into the city’s urban fabric. The oldest of them all, the Michal and Renata Hornstein Pavilion, dates back to 1912. Its majestic marble staircase takes you to the Museum’s temporary exhibitions.

The Jean-Noël Desmarais Pavilion, designed by architect Moshe Safdie, is recognizable by its modern, imposing glass façade. Its many rooms welcome a compelling mix of permanent and temporary exhibitions. Here is where you will find the box office, boutique, café and gourmet restaurant. After all, you’ll need to take a break if you want to see all that the Museum has to offer!

The Michal and Renata Hornstein Pavilion for Peace is the newest addition to the complex. Humanist, socially engaged, and inclusive, it embodies the MMFA’s fundamental values. It is devoted to international art, from Old Masters to modern art, and to education, a mission dear to the Museum.

If decorative arts and design pique your curiosity, you won’t want to miss the Lilian and David M. Stewart Pavilion with its impressive collection of furniture, objects and jewelry.

The Claire and Marc Bourgie Pavilion is home to a rich collection of Québec and Canadian art (including an impressive collection of Inuit art). The Salle Bourgie, a 460-seat concert hall located in a transformed 19^th-century church, provides music lovers with a brilliant auditory experience surrounded by stunning Tiffany stained-glass windows.

The complex also includes a cutting-edge movie cinema for up to 291 patrons. And upon leaving the Museum, you'll love to stroll in the Sculpture Garden, one of the city’s largest collections of public art.