The Musee des Beaux Arts, or Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, is a large art museum in the Golden Square Mile district in the heart of Montreal.
Musee des Beaux Arts
The Musee des Beaux Arts in Montreal is Canada’s biggest art gallery. The place has been collecting art for more than 150 years and today hosts a very impressive collection of pieces. In English, the place is referred to as the Museum of Fine Arts.
Notable artists represented at the Museum include Rembrandt, Picasso and Cézanne.
About the Museum
The Musee des Beaux Arts was founded in 1960 with the creation of the Montreal Art Association. While the association did not have a physical address initially, this is when the founders began collecting pieces for what would become the museum. The gallery’s first location opened a few years later in 1978.
Since the gallery’s opening, the museum has undergone several moves and expansions. The museum’s major move was from its original location to its current location at Sherbrooke Street West. In the years since, the place has also undergone extensive renovations and building additions.
Collections at the museum are divided into six main sections. These include International Contemporary Art, Early & Modern International Art, Quebec & Canadian Art, Decorative Arts & Design, Arts of One World and Graphic Arts. There is also a sculpture garden outdoors on the museum grounds.
The six collections at the Museum of Fine Arts are divided between five pavilions and the sculpture garden. Built in 1912, the Michal and Renata Hornstein Pavilion was the first building in the complex. It now hosts pieces related to archaeology and other ancient art. The next two buildings added were the Liliane and David M. Stewart Pavilion and the Jean-Noël Desmarais Pavilion. They are home to the Decorative Art & Design and the Modern & Contemporary collections. Finally, the newest buildings are the Claire and Marc Bourgie Pavilion and the Michal and Renata Hornstein Pavilion for Peace. They focus on Quebec & Canadian Art along with International Art.
Location and Hours
The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is located within the Golden Square Mile close to downtown Montreal. The building’s address is 1380 Sherbrooke Street West.
Hours at the museum are from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm on Wednesdays. The museum is closed on Mondays.
Admission
The cost of admission to the museum varies depending on age and how many exhibitions you want to view. General admission, which includes access to all exhibitions and permanent collections, costs the following as of March, 2026:
- $31 (ages 26 and older)
- Those aged 25 and under as well as members have free admission
Visitors ages 26 and younger pay $15.50 when visiting the musem on Wednesdays between 5:00 pm and 9:00 pm. Admission is half price for a collections ticket. The collections ticket only includes permanent collections and discovery exhibitions.
Other Information
Click Musee des Beaux Arts Montreal for more details.
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