10 Best Museums in Quebec City

Quebec City is located along the Lawrence River, surrounded by a privileged natural environment in a place where you can breathe quality of life and cultural diversity. Some of the most interesting museums in Canada are located in this city, so one of the best things to see and do in Quebec is to visit its museums, which reflect both the past and the future of the city and the country.

So that you don't miss anything in this cultural experience in Quebec, in this article I leave you a list of its most representative museums, which cover a range of topics ranging from the past and present of the native populations to the French presence and art in all its forms.

The Musée de la Civilisation is a museum dedicated to the culture and civilisations of Quebec and other parts of the world. Opened in 1988, it is located in Old Quebec City near the Saint Lawrence River in a building considered an architectural jewel of the city.

There you can learn about Canada's earliest civilisations, with interactive exhibits ranging from their roots to the present day. In particular, the permanent exhibition C'est notre histoire (This is our history) allows you to learn about the history and culture of the 11 civilisations that populate Quebec, made up of some 95,000 inhabitants. What's interesting is that it is their voices that tell their story, as they work closely with the museum.

In addition to this permanent collection, the Museum of Civilisation offers a wide range of temporary exhibits with themes ranging from the musical history of Quebec to unusual subjects such as wrestling. An audio guide and app are available to help you interpret the exhibits.

Interesting details

• Location: 85 Rue Dalhousie, Québec, QC G1K 8R2, Canada.
• Hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm.
• Admission: about £17 for those aged 35 to 64; about £14 for those aged 18 to 34, about £6 for those aged 12 to 17 and about £4 for children aged 6 to 11. Children under 5 are free and those over 65 pay around €16.

Albert Gilles was a leading répoussé artist who brought his art to Quebec churches such as the cathedrals of Valleyfield and Moncton, to film studios and to the homes of celebrities such as Mae West. He also made the silver chalice for Pope Pius XII. Some of his work is on display at the Albert Gilles and Cooper Museum along with that of five women in his family who continued his artistic legacy.

Répoussé or embossing is a technique used to create pieces of art in low relief on metals. You will be amazed by the level of detail and creativity of the 50 copper panels that tell the story of Christ in the Christorama exhibition, considered by the artist to be his masterpiece. In the museum you will also find a lot of information about his life and about copper, from the time it is obtained in a mine until it becomes art.

A very interesting thing to do at the Albert Gilles Museum is to take part in a workshop to learn the technique of répoussé and make your own artistic piece. Without a doubt, going to this museum is a great idea because not only will you see the works of art of the famous sculptor and his family, but you will also learn the technique and be able to take your work home as a souvenir. You can also buy these unique pieces of art in the museum's boutique.

Interesting details

• Address: 7450, boul. Ste-Anne, Château-Richer, Québec, Canada, G0A 1N0. 22 km from Old Quebec, the historic centre.
• Opening hours: May to October daily from 8.30am to 5pm; November to January Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm and weekends from 1pm to 4pm. From February to April every day from 9am to 4pm.
• Admission fee: Entrance and parking are free of charge. Participation in the workshop costs around €14 per person.

Although not a museum in the strict sense of the word, a visit to this hotel is a historical and cultural tour. The Chateau de Frontenac has Churchill, Roosevelt, Elizabeth II, Alfred Hitchcock and Celine Dion suites, some of the famous people who have stayed in its rooms.

The Chateau de Frontenac opened in 1893 in the walled part of Old Quebec, the historic quarter of the city. It was designed in congruence with the surrounding historic buildings and became one of Quebec's most iconic castles. Considered a Canadian Historic Site, it sits on a promontory and offers a beautiful view of the Saint Lawrence River.

If you are not staying at the hotel, you can join a guided tour to see the facilities and hear the stories told in the suites. Some of these tours are conducted with guides who interpret a historical figure, which makes the tour more entertaining. These tours are only available from tour companies.

Details of interest

• Location: 1 Rue des Carrières, Québec, QC G1R 4P5, Canada.

The Musée national des beaux arts du Québec is dedicated to exhibiting the art of Quebecers from the 18th century to contemporary times and also contains works by artists from other parts of the world. It houses some 25,000 works and is located very close to the Notre-Dame Church and the Citadelle de Québec.

It has 3 pavilions: Pierre-Lassonde, Charles-Baillairgé and Gérard-Morisset. In Pierre-Lassonde there are permanent exhibitions on Inuit art with more than 100 works; Quebec decorative and design arts, such as ceramics, posters and glass crafts**; contemporary art**, with more than 9000 works; and the fresco that artist Jean Paul Riopelle painted as a tribute to Rosa Luxemburg.

The pavilions are different buildings connected by long corridors. The whole museum is worth admiring for its architecture and how it has been integrated with the surrounding park. As for the Gérard-Morisset pavilion, it used to be a former prison where the cells can still be seen. The museum is one of the stops of the Hop-on Hop-off buses that take you to the main tourist sites of the city, in a comfortable way.

Interesting details

• Location: 179 Grande Allée O, Québec, QC G1R 2H1, Canada.
• Hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm. Wednesdays until 9pm.
• Admission: adults about €17, young people aged 18 to 30 about €10, teenagers 13 to 17 about €5 and seniors over 65 about €16. Children under 12 are free and there are discounts for families.

The Musée de l'Amérique francophone, formerly known as the Musée du Seminaire, is the oldest museum in the country. Founded in 1803, its mission is to disseminate the history of French communities in Canada, and the works of artists and craftsmen since 1930.

It is housed in the Quebec Seminary, a Catholic church building in Old Quebec. The entrance to the museum is through the Chapelle du Musée (the Museum Chapel), where various social events and seminars are held, as it is a secularised space. From there, underground tunnels lead to the main museum building.

The Museum of French-speaking America has some 110,000 items, including historical, ethnological and scientific objects, coins, postage stamps, art and handicrafts.

Some of its permanent collections include On the Road: the Francophone Odyssey, which shares the story of French migrants who came to the country in search of new horizons, and Revelations, which features more than 100 works of art from the legacy of the Quebec Seminary.

Details of interest

• Location: 2 Côte de la Fabrique, Québec, QC G1R 3V6, Canada.
• Hours: daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Museum of the Augustinian Monastery or Monastère des Augustines has the mission of disseminating the spiritual and social work of the Augustinians in Quebec for more than four centuries. But it is not only a museum, as in addition to exhibiting collections of objects and archives that belonged to their monastery-hospitals, it has also become a wellness centre.

At the Augustinian Monastery you can take guided tours to explore its permanent and temporary collections and learn in depth about the history and legacy of the Augustinians. These take place about three times a day and last about an hour.

In addition, the monastery offers various cultural and wellness activities that can connect you with the heritage of the Augustinians. You can also enjoy a typical meal, take a yoga class or go on a retreat while staying at the monastery. It is located within the walled city of Quebec.

Details of interest

• Location: 77, rue des Remparts, Québec (Québec), Canada G1R 0C3.
• Hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 5pm. Monastery guests can stay until 8pm.
• Admission: from €17 for adults, €14 for students and seniors and €10 for children aged 12 to 16. Children under the age of 11 (inclusive) are free.

The Erico Chocolate Museum is an unmissable visit for lovers of this exquisite food, as it not only offers you the chance to learn more about chocolate, but also to take some home with you to enjoy during your stay in the city.

The tours are free and self-guided, so you can explore this small museum at your own pace. There you will learn about the history of chocolate from the time of the Mayas to the present day and interesting facts about the cacao tree. It has a collection of about 120 pieces from the 19th century, mainly from Mexico, the Caribbean, the USA and Canada. There is also a window from which you can see how chocolate is produced in the factory.

The Erico chocolate factory, founded in 1987, is located in downtown Quebec City, about six blocks from Parliament. If you're interested in museums of this kind, you can also visit the Maple Museum Shop, where you can learn about the making of this typical Canadian syrup and taste it. It's located 700 metres away on the same street.

But if you want to try the best gastronomy, you can take one of the best gastronomic tours in Quebec and taste Canadian delicacies on the Ile d'Orléans. Visit apple orchards, vineyards and chocolate factories for a complete gastronomic experience.

Interesting details

• Location: 634, Saint-Jean Street, Quebec, QC G1R 1P8.
• Hours: Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 10:30am-6pm; Thursday and Friday 10:30am-6pm; Saturday 10:30am-6pm; Sunday 11am-6pm. It closes later in the summer.
• Admission fee: free of charge.

The Musée POP or Museum of Popular Culture is a museum that combines two very different experiences: a tour of Quebec's cultural diversity and a visit to the old Trois-Rivières prison, which was in operation from 1822 to 1986. You can do both tours separately or do one, but you get a discount if you do both.

At the POP Museum you can explore diverse collections covering history, language, gastronomy, sport, music and legends from the original populations to the present day. One of the permanent collections is the Stars Collection of toys, ideal if you are travelling to Quebec with children.

As for the Trois-Rivières Prison, it is considered by many visitors to be the museum's main attraction. The old building retains its original shape and the layout of the cells, as well as the doors and other elements. Please note that children under the age of 8 are not allowed to enter this museum.

If you are interested in learning more about Quebec's prisons and the crimes it witnessed, you can sign up for a ghost and crime tour and get to know the darker side of the city.

Details of interest

• Location: 200, rue Laviolette, Trois-Rivières (Qc), Canada.
• Museum opening hours: in summer daily from 10am to 5pm. In autumn from Monday to Friday from 10am to 4pm and weekends from 10am to 5pm. The rest of the year, open weekends from 10am to 5pm.
• Prison opening hours: in summer every day from 10am to 5pm. In autumn on Wednesdays from 10am to 4pm and weekends from 10am to 5pm.
• Admission fee: from €12 for the adult museum ticket, about €14 for the prison ticket and about €20 for the combined ticket. Children under the age of 4 are free of charge. Children and teenagers from 5 to 17 years old pay about €7 for the museum ticket, about €10 for the prison ticket and about €14 for the combined ticket.

If you're interested in history, the Musée du Fort will give you an immersive experience of Quebec's battles with its sound and light show. The museum is located in Old Quebec, opposite the Château de Frontenac, and contains a model of over 100 square metres depicting what Quebec City was like in 1750.

With the help of special effects and the large model, the Musee du Fort gives you the chance to immerse yourself in the battles and history of Quebec. At the end of the presentation, if you wish, you can take part in a quiz where you can win a prize.

There is a shop in the museum where you can find old Quebec books in French and English, wooden muskets and military-themed souvenirs. They also offer soldiers and all kinds of certified collectibles.

Interesting details

• Location: 10, rue Sainte-Anne P.O. Box 833, Haute-Ville, Québec.
• Hours: daily from 8:30 am to 9:15 pm.
• Admission fee: from €6 for adults and about €5 for students. Children under the age of 10 are free.

History buffs should not miss a visit to this military fortress located within the ramparts of Old Quebec. The Citadel was built after the War of 1812 and belonged to the British army. Today it houses the 22nd Royal Regiment and receives visitors every day to witness the changing of the guard.

The Citadel of Quebec is also the official residence of the monarch and the Governor General of Quebec and is considered a National Historic Site of Canada. It is star-shaped and stands at the highest point of the city, at Cape Diamond. From there you can enjoy the view of Old Quebec and the Lawrence River.

After your visit, you can see the Quebec fortifications next to it. They are about 4.5 km long and were part of a defence system that began to be built in 1608. Both the Citadel and the ramparts are two of the sites that are always included in the best guided tours of Quebec, providing you with a wealth of historical and cultural information about the city.

Interesting details

• Location: 1 Côte de la Citadelle Québec City, Québec G1R 3R2, Canada.
• Hours: Mid-May to early September, daily from 9am to 5:30pm and from September to mid-May, from 10am to 5:30pm. Not open on rainy days.
• Admission fee: from €13 for adults, €11 for adults over 64 and approximately €4 for children and teenagers aged 11-17. Children under the age of 10 are free. Discounts are available for families.