Museums

Museum of Archeology and History

Constructed on the site where Montreal was founded in 1642, the Museum of Archeology and History is deservedly one of the most popular attractions in the city. First opened in 1992, the museum itself is built on some of the grounds that once held the objects now on display.

Housed partly in the triangular Eperon Building, the Pointe-à-Callière museum, as it's called locally, is so named for the point where the St. Pierre River merges with the St. Lawrence. For on this spot were found a treasure trove of archeological finds. Here scientists unearthed artifacts of French trappers, local native tribesmen and others who have passed through the area over the centuries.

You can visit any of the four sections into which the museum is divided. The Eperon Building itself is the main section, but there is the underground Archaeological Crypt, the Ancienne Douane Building and the outdoor Place Royale.

First, catch the 15-minute video in the auditorium that explains all about the museum and its contents. Providing an excellent overview of the territory from the Ice Age to the present, it's a fascinating history. Next, descend to below street level to see the collection.

Visitors walk on a self-guided tour through a labyrinth of cases containing items left by Scottish merchants, Iroquois and others. Part of the tour shows the city's first Catholic cemetery with several of the original tombstones still on display.

Centuries old pottery, some surprisingly well preserved, sits alongside strikingly detailed and realistic carved masks. In some cases, objects are placed in the exact location at which they were first discovered.

Along with the artifacts there's a permanent exhibit showcasing the history of Montreal, one of the oldest cities in North America. At the end, you exit into the Old Custom House, another popular Montreal attraction. Built in 1838, it provides an interesting look into the British influence in this largely French-origin city.

Inside the main building there is also the L'Arrivage cafe with an excellent view of Old Montreal (Vieux Montréal). Across from the main building is the Youville Pumping Station, dating from 1915 but long defunct. Fully restored, it serves as an interpretation center. Staff along the tour are happy to answer questions.

Located at 350 Place Royal, just exit the Metro (Montreal's subway) at Place d'Armes. Details are available at the Museum of Archaeology and History web site.

Museum of Fine Arts

The Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal is the oldest museum in Canada, and one of its finest. Founded in 1860, it moved to one of its present locations just before WWI in 1912. 'One of' because the museum is actually comprised of two separate buildings separated by a street, connected by a long underground tunnel.

The older, neo-Classical building, the Michal and Renata Hornstein Pavilion, is on the north side of Sherbrooke. The newer building, the Jean-Noel Desmarais Pavilion, was finished in 1991. Each is worthy of a day-long visit. Here, art lovers will find 19th century Canadian paintings and drawings, along with art from all over Europe, Asia and Africa.

The collection's offerings are not exhausted by traditional paintings and drawings. There are decorative objects, items of Mediterranean archeology and native crafts from the North American continent.

In the Mediterranean section there are marble funerary lekythos, a Hellenistic-Roman torso and a new Apollo sculpture forming the centerpiece of the collection. Next door are the Near/Middle Eastern and Egyptian collections. Luristan bronzes, used to adorn horses in the 6th-4th centuries BC, sit not far from ancient wooden objects from Egypt.

Since 2001, a part of the museum collection has been objects from the renowned Musée des Arts Décoratifs. Everything from a Hoffman chair to a Japanese incense box of exquisite delicacy can be seen here. It also holds prototypes of bentwood furniture designed by architect Frank Gehry.

In addition, the museum houses art from around Quebec, the eastern Canadian province in which Montreal is situated. There are also artifacts from the natives in the far north and west.

The European masters collection is the equal of many larger, more well-known museums. Here there are grisaille paintings by Mantegna. Baroque art from the French, Italian and Flemish count works by Poussin, de Witte and Bruegel the Younger. 18th century works include portraits by Hogarth and street scenes by Canaletto. Religious paintings by Tiepolo sit not far from a fine Gainsborough.

Later artists are represented as well. The Musée des Beaux-Arts holds many 19th century products of the Barbizon school, including Corot and Daumier. A Tissot is just down the walk from art by Renoir and Pissaro, Monet and Cézanne. The 20th century is also well represented with works by Picasso, Matisse, Miro and Dali.

With around 25,000 objects, it is far from the largest museum of the type, but some of the items are unlike anything you'll see anywhere else. Located at 1379 Sherbrooke Street West, the museum is easy to reach via the Metro (Montreal's subway). For details, see Museum of Fine Arts web site.

Canadian Center for Architecture

One of the few cities to dedicate a museum to the glory of building, the Centre Canadien d'Architecture in Montreal is itself glorious.

The center is actually two separate buildings.

Combining austere Trenton limestone mined in Quebec with traditional old greystone found throughout Montreal, the buildings reflect the twin aspects of the architecture of the city. Providing a permanent library of over 165,000 volumes along with revolving exhibits, it is both a home to scholars and a popular tourist attraction.

The older of the two structures is an 1874 mansion built for the president of the Pacific Railway, Sir Thomas Shaughnessy. The interior, fully restored to its original state, houses an art nouveau conservatory whose intricately decorated ceiling is alone worth a visit.

The newer building, erected in 1989, is a U-shaped structure that wraps the older one. In the western wing is the auditorium, while the eastern houses an atrium with offices and research areas for visiting scholars. Its unusual design is the brainchild of an unusual woman, Phyllis Lambert. An heir to the Seagram's liquor fortune, Lambert is herself an architect and founder of the center.

In the library, visitors can view sketchbooks, plans and other items that comprise one important aspect of the architect's effort. Some of the exhibits have featured serious, scholarly displays of historical or contemporary work. The Center has featured exhibits on Mies van der Rohe, John Sloan and others. Other events may focus on lighter topics, such as a review of doll houses or the variety of American lawn designs.

But whether the exhibit is technical or just fun, the museum itself is a fine example of what it exists to portray: the variety of impressive building over the centuries. With a combination of modern urban design and near turn of the 20th century housing, it offers a diverse view of the creative endeavors of a unique kind of artist. For an architect is neither sculptor nor storyteller, but a bit of both in a practical shell.

Across the street is a fascinating sculpture garden that displays work that might very well decorate one of the structures detailed in the mansion library. With an array of odd objects along with traditional gardening, it provides a lovely place to sit and admire the museum buildings from the outside.

Visitors will enjoy coming in the main entrance along the north-facing facade and into the grand stairhall that leads to the public spaces on the first floor. The Canadian maple decor nicely offsets the Alcan aluminum used in the modern parts of the center. Skylights illuminate the interior with natural light, providing a delightful ambiance.

Located at 1920 Baile Street, the CCA contains a bookstore that offers material related to the museum's contents.

iSci Science Center

Le Centre des Sciences de Montréal, as it's formally known, is one of the premier attractions in a city already filled with so many. Located along the length of King Edward Pier in Old Montreal, it's also one of the newer sights. Chock full of the latest computer and video technology, along with hundreds of interactive science-related exhibits, the iSci is a wonder.

That wonder is not merely to behold, but to operate as well. Visitors can enjoy dozens of experiments that demonstrate the principles of electricity and magnetism. Or, they can use one of the many computers to explore the leading edge technology that may make its way into homes in the near future.

The museum has two main exhibition areas - Eureka and Technocity.

Within them, young and old alike can explore the amazing intricacies of the human body. Life-sized displays of muscle clad skeletons show how the parts combine and function to allow for the amazing range of human movement. Displays and videos provide information about how medicine and technology are advancing to not only cure but improve on the basic model.

Kids and grown-ups both will enjoy all the fascinating puzzles and games available. Brain teasers, optical illusions and intricate geometric toys will give even the brainiest a real run for their gray matter. Try to outsmart a chess program or figure out why one ball looks larger than another of exactly the same size. Try to beat the clock by unlocking a group of rings that appear to have no openings.

The world of engineering is given wide support with displays on how buildings stand and, sometimes, why they fall. Bridges longer than some cities and higher than some skyscrapers are detailed, explaining how they function.

Information Studio provides numerous exhibits on how the world of computers is changing life and the growth of knowledge. Super-fast computers that use Quantum Mechanics are not far from reality. See a live demonstration of how they work. Matter Works showcases some of the most impressive technological achievements to date... and gives some clues about what's coming up in the future.

The science center also includes one of the biggest IMAX theaters in North America. With its seven-story screen and state-of-the-art sound system, viewers will get a thrill ride through environments familiar and new. Seating almost 400, the audience can vote on how the story evolves by selecting different scenarios.

With more than 600,000 square feet of display space in a space-age glass and steel building, the iSci is a work of science and art all its own. But it also houses a fine family restaurant, the Porto Fiorentino, that seats 1,000. Have a good meal and look out over the harbor while you enjoy cooking demonstrations, piano concerts and other events held there.

Located at the corner of de la Commune and St. Laurent in Old Montreal, Le Centre des Sciences is easy to reach via the Metro (Montreal's subway). Just exit at Champ-de-Mars. For details, visit the science center web site.