Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal
Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
Closed
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
The MMFA is one of Canada’s most visited museums and the eighth-most visited museum in North America, boasting more than 1.3 million visitors. The MMFA's original temporary exhibitions combine various artistic disciplines – fine arts, music, film, fashion and design – and are exported around the world. Its rich encyclopedic collection, distributed among five pavilions, includes international art, world cultures, decorative arts and design, and Quebec and Canadian art. The Museum has seen exceptional growth in recent years with the addition of two new pavilions: the Claire and Marc Bourgie Pavilion, in 2011, and the Michal and Renata Hornstein Pavilion for Peace, in 2016. The MMFA complex includes Bourgie Hall, a 460-seat concert hall. The Museum also houses the Michel de la Chenelière International Atelier for Education and Art Therapy, the largest educational complex in a North American art museum, enabling the MMFA to offer innovative educational, wellness and art therapy programmes
Duration: More than 3 hours
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Address
Neighborhood: Ville-Marie
How to get there
- Peel • 5 min walk
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See what travelers are saying
- Nico Samneil Sy SaladoNewport, Vermont1,999 contributionsMontreal museum of fine artsClean and well organized museum. They have a coat counter with an attendant. Has a cafeteria. They accept credit/debit card. Stroller friendly stairs but also has a elevator. This activity is worth a day to spend easily to fully enjoy and engulfed the informations. The main building is closed as of now March 2024 for renovations but the two buildings are opened which all three are just connected by an underground passage.Visited March 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten March 3, 2024
- Francois AFranklin, Tennessee465 contributionsA fine art walk through timeA beautiful museum great location with easy access. The galleries are very presented and the different theme well define and organized. Take the time to explore (2-3 hours) Easy to walk around the museum cover both side of the street with underground tunnels.Visited February 2024Traveled soloWritten March 6, 2024
- Sydney WNew York City, New York87 contributionsFantastic art museum!Such a great art museum! During our visit, we saw all four floors of the Pavilion for Peace and the Georgia O’Keefe and Henry Moore exhibit. Everything was arranged really well with legible and interesting signage and descriptions. There were plenty of places to stop and take a seat throughout the Pavilion of Peace, which was much appreciated. The cafe was small but what I had (chicken salad sandwich) was solid for museum food! I am definitely hoping to return before the end of our trip.Visited March 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten March 12, 2024
- Dale WTbilisi, Georgia202 contributionsFantasticOutstanding museum! A wide collection of art well presented. Recommend you plan for several hours to take it all in. Multiple floors spread across several buildings all accessible through connecting walk ways.Visited April 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten April 5, 2024
- Geen TCiudad Madero, Mexico124 contributionsExcellent, you can't miss itLarge, beautiful museum, with minimalist finishes, classic and contemporary, a mix that they were able to enhance without ending badly, with multiple works of all kinds. Tickets with an affordable price either online or in person. Canada is a country with an official language of French, its second language perhaps English, but if you do not know any or little English, it will be difficult for you since the workers of any establishment will not be able to help you or will not want to. In the museum it is something similar, all the indications, footers of paintings and maps in English and French, the rooms are divided into 2 buildings and we did not know, in the end we had to spend very little time in the second buildingVisited May 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten May 1, 2024
- RonL40Utica, New York3,708 contributionsComprehensive range of fine art. Fine collection of Egypt, Inuit, Greek art.Well-curated, easily managed museum with a wide range of art styles and periods. Especially interesting collections of Greek, Roman, Egyptian, modernism and Inuit art. The collection is in four adjacent buildings, definitely a full day if you want the full experience. Very easy to wayfind through the different spaces. Easy to make choices about the various styles if you want to experience just one of the collections or if you want to go to a special exhibit.Visited May 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten May 6, 2024
- operalover939Toronto, Canada2,938 contributionsGreat exhibition of Flemish ArtThe exhibition was of mostly Southern Netherlandish art, somewhat misleadingly described as Flemish art, largely drawn from the Phoenix collection in Antwerp. Among the works that caught my eye, several of many fine paintings, were a Virgin and Child by Jan Gossaert, a triptych by Pieter Coecke van Aelst, a portrait of Prince William II of Orange as a child by Anthony van Dyck, a portrait of two children by Michaelina Wautier, a flower piece by Daniel Seghers and a still life by Clara Peeters. Very much worth seeing.Visited June 2024Traveled with friendsWritten June 16, 2024
- DelirioHotelSACartagena, Colombia21 contributionsMusée des Beaux-Arts de Montreal.Impressive collection of various art periods. The exhibition on Pop Art was very interesting with works by Lichtenstein, Warhol and others. I liked the combination of classic and modern buildings as well as the display of sculptures around the buildings on public spaces!Visited June 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten June 30, 2024
- Sylvie PMontreal, Canada792 contributionsThree centuries of Flemish masterpieces: remarkable exhibition!Vice, virtue, desire, folly to be seen without fault! A first in Canada bringing together works by Rubens, Van Dyck and Memling to name a few. Perfect presentation in the oldest building of the museum. Imposing catalogue. An exhibition likely to please everyone!Visited June 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten July 1, 2024
- Ryo ZLas Vegas, Nevada1,821 contributionsNice art museum with so much to seeIt’s a rainy day in Montreal and I’m on vacation and thought I should do something that was indoors and I love museums. I’m happy I was able to get out of the rain but look at some fabulous art. There’s about 4 floors, so I started from the top and worked my way down. Great place for families with kids. They have an interactive space for both the parents and children. On the 2nd floor there a small cafe with grab and go beverages and snacks. Large bags and backpack will need to go to the coat check, good news it’s free! There were a lot of great art pieces to see here, it’s worth the visit and keeps one out of the rain.Visited July 2024Traveled soloWritten July 1, 2024
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AMILLION
Montreal, Canada403 contributions
Jul 2024 • Couples
The Musée des Beaux-Arts de Montréal is huge, with lots of pavilions and a fascinating variety of exhibitions and art from different times and backgrounds. We had an amazing time exploring everything. Parking was a bit tricky, so I'd suggest taking local transportation. The museum has several floors, and there are elevators to help you get around. Tickets are usually about $20 and can be bought in advance or at the reception, but the best part is that it's free for everyone on the first Sunday of each month. It's definitely worth a visit!
Written July 10, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
traveltheworld012
Rochester, MN17,303 contributions
Aug 2024 • Couples
We were visiting Montreal for the first time August 1-8, 2024. On our 4th day we took the metro subway from the Old Port area to Guy-Concordia station. From there it's just a short walk to the museum. The address brings us to the large old building with pillared front that says it is the museum, but there is no entry. On the side below the steps, I encountered a young man entering a door. I asked him if this was the museum entry. He said, "no, this is the cinema". What, where is the museum? .. he pointed directly across the street and said, "There". So we crossed back across the street to the actual museum. On this Sunday afternoon, it was very busy, and confusing. Finally, I approached a employee and he told us the museum was free today (normally $23) on the left but not on the right. Apparently, as I learned much later there are underground tunnels to other buildings and museum areas. I searched for a map to figure the place out. A guy sitting had laminated maps, so I took one but it really was no help at all. It didn't tell what floors had what, just a simple layout without much writing on it. Anyway, it was free and we were able to view fantastic original art, paintings, sculptures and artifacts on 3 or 4 floors and about 25 different rooms. Still the maze of rooms we wandered through didn't seem to have themes and no map or signs directing us. Enjoyed the visit despite all the confusion and mystery of the place.
Written August 21, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
William Kim
London, Canada414 contributions
May 2023 • Friends
The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts is a must-see when in Montreal. The complex is so massive, you may want to plan on spending an entire day here, or even come back here on multiple occasions. Seriously! I somehow managed to visit and see the entire museum in one visit that took several hours, but it felt quite overwhelming at times (but this is on me). There are many buildings here that feature many different topics of art, from paintings to contemporary art to many different kinds of exhibits from around the world. You'll find it all here! It seems that this museum is the oldest in Canada, and I can see why. But as massive as the place was, it definitely was not overwhelming. The layout of the building is so good in the sense that it never feels that way. It's easy for one to spend quite a few hours in here, and not even realize how much time has already passed.
ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE: People under the age of 20 are eligible for free admission. Take advantage of that!!
I definitely recommend this museum for those who are visiting Montreal - it is a must-see, and one will quickly realize as to why Montreal is considered one of the cultural capitals of the world.
ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE: People under the age of 20 are eligible for free admission. Take advantage of that!!
I definitely recommend this museum for those who are visiting Montreal - it is a must-see, and one will quickly realize as to why Montreal is considered one of the cultural capitals of the world.
Written July 24, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MomRocco
Chicago, IL543 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
Very disappointing visit as more than half of museum buildings/galleries were off view/closed and what remained was disjointed and poorly curated. It felt like whoever was in charge felt it was good enough to give a disclaimer saying that things were a mess, make what you would of the exhibit, and move along. The entry price was not insignificant and we had to use Uber both ways to visit, so it was not inexpensive. I am an admirer of the Group of Seven painters and the museum was supposed to have a fine collection, which it did not. I think there may have been 5 or 6 paintings, but certainly not the best or a good representation. Until this museum has more of its works on view, I would definitely not recommend spending your time and money here.
Written September 26, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Fred
Colby, KS53 contributions
May 2024 • Couples
Displays are disjointed. Explanations of the art are mostly in print so small that you can’t read them
Staff at the ticketing desk, entrance to the museum, even the bistro were unfriendly, had attitude, entitled.
Save your money and time there are many better places to view art in Montreal
Staff at the ticketing desk, entrance to the museum, even the bistro were unfriendly, had attitude, entitled.
Save your money and time there are many better places to view art in Montreal
Written May 28, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
pattayainsider
Las Vegas, NV1,049 contributions
Aug 2024 • Solo
The $30 admission is very high, but they had wonderful things to see. The layout of the museum is very awkward at best, it's very hard to figure out an orderly way to see it, and to know what you want to see, and what and where you have already been. There is very poor signage, and sometimes none at all. There is also no one to ask for any help. For $30, they don't give out a small paper map. There is one little board that has a layout map, and there were dozens of people crowding around trying to see it. They want you to scan a QR code to have some map on your cell phone, I prefer not to look at my cell phone in a museum. I was kind of shocked at how difficult they made it to figure out where you are and even what is available to see.
In some of the buildings, the stairs aren't even labeled, so everyone has to wait for small elevators even to go up or down one floor. It wasted so much time for no reason. I usually couldn't find the stairs. Then you have to go underground to get between some buildings, and again, very poor labeling. Instead of a sign like "Modern art this way", it would have a sign with the name of the person who donated for the wing like "The John Smith wing", which means nothing to me and most other people. Very poor management who clearly don't think about this visitors.
The collection itself was very impressive. I went on a rainy day so it was more crowded than normal.
I have to say the gift show was one of the best of any museum I've been to. A much larger selection of great books than even the Metropolitan Art Museum in NYC. And they had a "sale" section with amazing values on some books.
I wouldn't discourage anyone from going because of the awkwardness of the setup, hopefully they will make an effort to fix this easy problem. If they only had maps around, or a small map handout, I would have given it 5 green circles.
In some of the buildings, the stairs aren't even labeled, so everyone has to wait for small elevators even to go up or down one floor. It wasted so much time for no reason. I usually couldn't find the stairs. Then you have to go underground to get between some buildings, and again, very poor labeling. Instead of a sign like "Modern art this way", it would have a sign with the name of the person who donated for the wing like "The John Smith wing", which means nothing to me and most other people. Very poor management who clearly don't think about this visitors.
The collection itself was very impressive. I went on a rainy day so it was more crowded than normal.
I have to say the gift show was one of the best of any museum I've been to. A much larger selection of great books than even the Metropolitan Art Museum in NYC. And they had a "sale" section with amazing values on some books.
I wouldn't discourage anyone from going because of the awkwardness of the setup, hopefully they will make an effort to fix this easy problem. If they only had maps around, or a small map handout, I would have given it 5 green circles.
Written August 30, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AlanaMike
Rossland, Canada132 contributions
Mar 2023 • Couples
This is a fine museum that really needs to improve its gift shop. Genuinely we just have been to so many museums that this was okay. Just a lot of what we saw we felt Chicago did a lot better.
There were a lot of tour groups that would completely fill sections and/or rooms and we were encountering them on nearly every level of every wing and would have to wait.
We were lucky that admission was offered with our room so we still felt positive about this. We enjoyed seeing the section about Quebec’s answer to the group of 7.
The shop is filled with products related to items not in their museum. It was a challenge even finding postcards that were actually shown in the museum. It seems like there may have been more the month before since there was a lot of Basquiat merch but the one regular piece of his they had wasn’t on display at the time.
There were a lot of tour groups that would completely fill sections and/or rooms and we were encountering them on nearly every level of every wing and would have to wait.
We were lucky that admission was offered with our room so we still felt positive about this. We enjoyed seeing the section about Quebec’s answer to the group of 7.
The shop is filled with products related to items not in their museum. It was a challenge even finding postcards that were actually shown in the museum. It seems like there may have been more the month before since there was a lot of Basquiat merch but the one regular piece of his they had wasn’t on display at the time.
Written April 9, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dutch Brother
Germantown, MD573 contributions
Mar 2022
I gave the MMFA a five star review when I last visited, but this time I had enough time to see the entire museum (that was open) as well as the gift shop, so I am in a better position to review it. It still deserves five stars, but just barely.
For such a large museum (five buildings), the collection is not as impressive as the size would indicate. For example, it does not come anywhere close to the Boston MFA or the Washington National Gallery of Art, both of which I have lived near and seen dozens of times. But by Canadian standards, it is a five star art museum (I'm both Canadian and US, so I'm not trying to favor one country's museums, but be objective and helpful to readers of my reviews).
The building with the Canadian collection does a nice job of providing an overview of Canadian painting. The collection of Inuit and Native American art is also a good overview, but after having seen the Museum of Anthropology at UBC, it looks like a sideshow. Nonetheless, I was still happy to see what I did.
I'm mainly interested in European and North American painting from 1500-1900, and the museum has a good collection, but concentrated in a few areas. There are two rooms of 17th century Dutch and Flemish painting, about 30 paintings. There is a very good Rembrandt portrait from 1668 and Jacob Ruisdael's "Bleaching Fields of Haarlem", two standout paintings. It's a fine collection, a highlight in my opinion. There is an enchanting small enclosed space with curiosities which is delightful, a mixture of paintings and small craft objects. There is a floor with an exhibit devoted to Napoleon. Given that France had lost most of its Canadian territory by this point, I'm not sure why the MMFA would have this exhibit, but it was interesting. There is also an extensive collection of early Renaissance religious paintings that is quite good.
The gift shop is good sized and has quite a few books. The staff were helpful in finding me a book at a very good price. My wife and daughter both bought scarves, so the shop has a lot to offer.
The museum is not inexpensive ($24 Canadian), but worth it if you have the time to explore the entire museum. It is also free to everyone 20 and under, so family friendly prices. I noticed a lot of teenagers while I was there, and that might be why. The museum was not crowded, even on a Sunday, but it was winter and cold outside, so that might be why. Unfortunately, the decorative arts part of the museum was closed, so you might want to call ahead to make sure the parts you want to see are open.
For such a large museum (five buildings), the collection is not as impressive as the size would indicate. For example, it does not come anywhere close to the Boston MFA or the Washington National Gallery of Art, both of which I have lived near and seen dozens of times. But by Canadian standards, it is a five star art museum (I'm both Canadian and US, so I'm not trying to favor one country's museums, but be objective and helpful to readers of my reviews).
The building with the Canadian collection does a nice job of providing an overview of Canadian painting. The collection of Inuit and Native American art is also a good overview, but after having seen the Museum of Anthropology at UBC, it looks like a sideshow. Nonetheless, I was still happy to see what I did.
I'm mainly interested in European and North American painting from 1500-1900, and the museum has a good collection, but concentrated in a few areas. There are two rooms of 17th century Dutch and Flemish painting, about 30 paintings. There is a very good Rembrandt portrait from 1668 and Jacob Ruisdael's "Bleaching Fields of Haarlem", two standout paintings. It's a fine collection, a highlight in my opinion. There is an enchanting small enclosed space with curiosities which is delightful, a mixture of paintings and small craft objects. There is a floor with an exhibit devoted to Napoleon. Given that France had lost most of its Canadian territory by this point, I'm not sure why the MMFA would have this exhibit, but it was interesting. There is also an extensive collection of early Renaissance religious paintings that is quite good.
The gift shop is good sized and has quite a few books. The staff were helpful in finding me a book at a very good price. My wife and daughter both bought scarves, so the shop has a lot to offer.
The museum is not inexpensive ($24 Canadian), but worth it if you have the time to explore the entire museum. It is also free to everyone 20 and under, so family friendly prices. I noticed a lot of teenagers while I was there, and that might be why. The museum was not crowded, even on a Sunday, but it was winter and cold outside, so that might be why. Unfortunately, the decorative arts part of the museum was closed, so you might want to call ahead to make sure the parts you want to see are open.
Written March 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
andypandaNashville
Nashville, TN1,999 contributions
Aug 2022 • Solo
I spend half of a day in this Museum and the Staff were Helpful related to Me being in an Electric Wheelchair. A few Ramps were scary going Up and down but only one, but some of the Elevator doors were Very narrow as well as the Bathroom Doors. Fortunately for the Kindness of Strangers helped Me. I enjoyed the Variety of Art and things in this Museum. The cost of getting in was the most beside The Boston Museum except any Museums have free or cheap for Seniors or Handicapped Patrons. Enjoyed My Day at the Museum.
Written August 17, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tricia H
Beverly, MA43 contributions
Jun 2023 • Couples
First, know that the museum is currently undergoing renovations and only 1 of the 4 buildings is open. Having said that, the Andrew Lee McQueen exhibit is exceptional and worth the price of admission and time. We also really enjoyed the permanent Innuit art exhibit. We were not disappointed at all.
Written June 17, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I see the Wednesday night ticket is $12, but the permanent collections are not open to the public in that night. So is it worthy to visit ? can anyone recently come in Wednesday night provide me some feedback?
And what is the most worthy/ must-see exhibition currently if I have limit time ?
Written April 28, 2022
Hi,
How does Musee Des Beaux-arts De Montreal reprimand it's staff members when they're racially profiling customers?
Written November 24, 2019
@fclg u don't get to tell me what's appropriate or not, or which forum to go on. I posted this question because I wanted to know if others experienced this type harassment from this museum. If u don't agree with the question, fine, but it is better to hold those types of opinions to yourself.
Written November 26, 2019
The entrance fee to the entire permanent collection is free. The only extra charge is if you wish to view whatever special exhibition would be currently on when you are visiting Montreal.
Written October 5, 2018
No. There's a Calder exhibition until the end of February. Well worth the visit.
Written February 6, 2019
Are you sure the Leonard Cohen exhibit reviewed by Michel S is listed for the correct museum? I went to the Museum of Fine Arts to see the exhibit, and was told it is taking place at the Museum of Contemporary Art. However, by this time, I no longer had time to travel up the correct Museum which is several metro stops away. Please have this corrected so someone else doesn’t make the same mistake, thank you
Written November 22, 2017
About how long would you need to tour the Revolution exhibit and a few others? I only have one day to visit Montreal. Which exhibits are the most descriptive of the culture at Montreal? Which exhibits are worth really going to?
Written August 9, 2017
Hello Felicia,
The Revolution exhibit based on the 60's would appeal to a "60 something" person as it would prove nostalgic. There are 700 exhibits so it would take you about 90 min hours in my opinion. The cost is $ 12. The rest of the museum with its various pavilions would take you about 3 hours and cost a further $15. Local culture is not a main feature here, but worldwide fine art is. If you are short of time, the outstanding Redpath Museum on McGill campus would be my choice. 3 floors would take you a max of 90 min.
Written August 9, 2017
How much is the ticket for the museum only?
Written July 20, 2017
Around $15 or $20 Canadian dollars of course depends what and how much you want to see...but it worth it
Written July 20, 2017
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