Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec

Art museum · Montcalm

Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec

Art museum · Montcalm

4

179 Grande Allée O, Québec, QC G1R 2H1, Canada

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Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by Bruce Damonte
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by Bruce Damonte
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by Photo by Jeff Frenette Photography, courtesy Ville De Quebec
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by Bruce Damonte
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by Photo by Jeff Frenette Photography, courtesy Ville De Quebec
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec by null

Highlights

The Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Québec showcases a stunning array of Quebecois and international art, housed in architecturally impressive pavilions.  

Featured in Conde Nast Traveler
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179 Grande Allée O, Québec, QC G1R 2H1, Canada Get directions

mnbaq.org

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179 Grande Allée O, Québec, QC G1R 2H1, Canada Get directions

+1 418 643 2150
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Jul 23, 2025

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20 Best Things to Do in Quebec City

"Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec houses more than 40,000 works from the 17th century to the present day, including a noteworthy collection of Inuit art in the Lassonde Pavilion." - Travel + Leisure Editors

https://www.travelandleisure.com/best-things-to-do-in-quebec-city-7966380
View Postcard for Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec
@cntraveler

5 Best Day Trips From Montreal: Québec City, Ottawa, the Eastern Townships, Mont Tremblant, and Hudson | Condé Nast Traveler

"The Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Québec (MNBAQ) houses historic and contemporary Québec art, but includes international touring exhibitions by the likes of Berthe Morisot, Alberto Giacometti, and the photographer Philippe Halsman. The new contemporary art pavilion was designed by an architectural power duo—OMA of New York and Provencher Roy of Montreal—and the collection ranges from the 18th century to the modern day. If you're short on time, head straight for the contemporary pavilion." - Todd Plummer, Isa Tousignant

https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/best-day-trips-from-montreal
View Postcard for Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec
@afar

"This sprawling museum is located in four buildings near Battlefields Park—the most recent of them, the Pierre Lassonde pavilion, opened in 2016 and was designed by starchitect Rem Koolhaas's OMA. The 25,000 works in its permanent collection cover the history of art in the province, beginning with the French colonial period and including artists who are still active today. The museum also holds one of the world's most important collections of Inuit art, with some 100 pieces—mostly carvings in stone, whalebone, or ivory—on display at any one time. Temporary exhibitions focus on both local and international artists. If you have time for a sit-down meal, Tempéra Québecor—helmed by Marie-Chantal Lepage, one of Québec's best-known chefs—is near the entrance of the new pavilion, with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the grounds and the Grande Allée."

Exploring La Vieille Capitale
View Postcard for Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec
@afar

"This sprawling museum is located in four buildings near Battlefields Park—the most recent of them, the Pierre Lassonde pavilion, opened in 2016 and was designed by starchitect Rem Koolhaas's OMA. The 25,000 works in its permanent collection cover the history of art in the province, beginning with the French colonial period and including artists who are still active today. The museum also holds one of the world's most important collections of Inuit art, with some 100 pieces—mostly carvings in stone, whalebone, or ivory—on display at any one time. Temporary exhibitions focus on both local and international artists. If you have time for a sit-down meal, Tempéra Québecor—helmed by Marie-Chantal Lepage, one of Québec's best-known chefs—is near the entrance of the new pavilion, with floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the grounds and the Grande Allée."

The Best of Quebec City
View Postcard for Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec

Mathew Yee

Google
Wonderful venue filled with interesting art. The collection isn't huge, but there's a lot of variety and interesting pieces. The best bathrooms are in the basement. 🙂 Take the elevator to the third floor and come down from there. The elevator is a treat in itself. It's the biggest elevator car I've ever seen. The doors are epic! Lol

Stephen

Google
This is one of the most incredible museums I’ve ever visited. The Niki de Saint Phalle exhibit was purely breathtaking and one of the best exhibits I’ve ever seen. The upper floors have plenty to offer as well, but that first floor exhibit was something else.

Innachka D

Google
I decided to visit the Art Museum during my stay in Quebec. I genuinely thought it would be a similar experience to visiting museums in Florence and Rome, Italy. However, I was thoroughly disappointed by what they now call “art.” Here, you be the judge. I’ll post pictures so you can form your own opinion, but as for me, I strongly advise against it. Save your money and time.

M owler (MrMarty)

Google
I’ve been to a lot of museums (the best is the Met in NYC) and this one was very bad. Most of the art that I will assume was done by adults looked like a child would draw. Silly nonsense is all I can say about a waste of $50. We made the best of it and would never return

Kenneth Magura

Google
As a big fan of Impressionism, I was thrilled to visit the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec and see the Helen McNicoll exhibit. Her work was absolutely stunning—her use of light and color is so masterful, and I loved how she captured everyday moments with such warmth and vibrancy. Her paintings of women and children outdoors, bathed in soft, natural light, felt so full of life and emotion. It was a real privilege to experience her art up close. The museum itself is beautiful and well-curated, with a calm and inspiring atmosphere that made the visit even more enjoyable. I also couldn’t resist picking up a few cute items from the gift shop to remember the day—they have a great selection of unique souvenirs and art-inspired pieces. If you’re an art lover, especially a fan of Impressionism, this museum is a must-visit in Quebec City. I can’t wait to come back and explore more!

Sophia Richard-Maher

Google
It is a beautiful museum, but 3/4 of the museum was shut and the prices were not adapted to that situation wish was a bit unfortunate. Still, worth it and beautiful, hopefully it can open again soon!

Chris Gleeson

Google
The Helen McNicol exhibition is outstanding. This was my first exposure to her art and it's beautiful and thought provoking. The curators have done an excellent job in the layout and design of the exhibition. The third floor of Inuit art was fascinating, found the espace collection sadly wanting, but still found enough to see and think about for a four hour visit.

Travis Truong

Google
The museum was smaller than expected. Despite that, the exhibits about Inuit, and Montreal Olympics were interesting. Many of the artifacts and artwork were attractive to admire since many of them were modern.
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Janet S.

Yelp
We had to pass this museum every day on our 11 Bus. It was very popular. Though not big art fans, it was well worth the visit and entrance fee and there is something for everyone
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Chunjai K.

Yelp
Very nice and beautiful Arts museum in Quebec, Nice for raining day. We got to Quebec in low season, so it is lots of rain and this museum is the one of our choices of travel and explore the story of Quebec City. Actually, after walking around the museum, we felt the ticket is not worth because the art mostly is contemporary arts even historically art that they claim to, that are newly create to me the old style. I was disappointed.
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Lea P.

Yelp
Staff was friendly... we took the main gallery tour. A bit too contemporary for me... we toured exhibits in one hour.
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Cydney M.

Yelp
MY WHOLE FAMILY ENJOYED OUR VISIT TO THIS MUSEUM ================================================= My husband, son and I were supposed to go to Montmorency Falls for the day. My son and I had planned to go on the zip-line by the waterfall, but it was a rainy day. Thank goodness it rained because I was starting to get a bit nervous. I knew I couldn't wimp out if my son was going to do it. There was a big Miro exhibit at the museum and the concierge at the Hilton recommended it. We all liked the exhibit and the whole museum. There are a few buildings, but it's doable in a couple hours. Not like the Musee du Louvre where there is no way you can see everything. If you are in Quebec City you should check it out.
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Kirsten K.

Yelp
My husband and I came for the special Joan Miró exhibit and stayed for everything else that this fantastic museum offers! I achieved a new personal record for amount of time spent in an art museum--four hours! (Another couple came with us, but they didn't feel compelled to see everything like I did. They parted our company and went to the gourmet restaurant on the premises, which they told me was a 5 star meal!) My husband and I just grabbed a small snack and coffee at the museum café and continued on our journey through each of the five floors. The museum was nicely air-conditioned, and quiet, with plenty of seating. It also has free wifi that you don't need a password for. No matter what style of art you enjoy most, you will find it here! The paintings run the gamut of realism, landscapes, still-lifes, surrealism, modern art, 19th century portraits, and comic-book style illustration. The most bizarre exhibit was a full room installation of shattered mirrors, disturbing mannequins, human-like fruit, and plexiglass cubes. It's amazing, intriguing, and shocking--you've been warned. It's called The Flux and the Puddle by David Altmejd. From the old city, we took the #11 bus to the museum for $3.50. It stops directly across from the museum.
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Chun P.

Yelp
Having visited many of Europe's great art museums, I kept my expectations low...but I found myself pleasantly enchanted by the mix of old and new art, and the classic and modern. $20 gives you access to three buildings worth of art, progressively taking you through classic, medieval, modern, and contemporary art. You'll see typical medieval paintings of Jesus dying and some portraits of snobs, and you'll also view some strange and bizarre modern art pieces. All three buildings are connected by underground passageways, which is brilliant engineering for those cold, snowy, winter days. With a coffee break, I spent over 3 hours wandering around and taking it all in, and so should you if you're in Quebec city.
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Winnie Y.

Yelp
Great variety of art pieces in this spacious museum. The only downside was that the entrances of the different exhibits were not super clear and I found myself accidentally wandering into office areas. There are quite a few exhibits located in some tricky-to-find wings of the museum, so don't be afraid to explore every corner! Plan to spend a couple of hours here since there are quite a few exhibits to cover and also a bit of walking around since they are spaced out in the museum. However, there are plenty of restrooms and comfy sofa benches for you to take breaks at. Free and reliable WiFi as well! One of my favorites was the "On a Large Scale" temporary installation located on the first floor. Don't forget to read the description of the different art pieces so you know which ones you can actually touch and interact with! David Altmejd's "The Flux and the Puddle" was also a personal favorite and one of the most unique pieces I've ever seen.
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Sylvia Y.

Yelp
One of my favorite museums in Quebec. I love that there's a variety of pieces (i.e. there aren't just 500 abstract paintings dumped in a gallery) and the art pieces are accessible--fun for the eyes and easily digestible. Some of my favorite works on display were: -"Marcher quand même" by Mathieu Valade: Giant, reflective disco ball on the ground attached to a string that tugs on it ever so often. Now pair that with some weird-a$$ music. Sounds really dumb but I dare you not to go "whoa." -"The Flux and the Puddle" by David Altmejd: You can't miss it. Grotesque wax heads, bugs, fruit. So "ugly," yet you can't look away. The only thing that bothered me a little bit is that the exhibits aren't labelled clearly so I felt the need to explore every little hallway to avoid feeling like I've missed something. I've accidentally walked into some office spaces...woops! Overall, wonderful museum to spend an afternoon 4.5
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Jon M.

Yelp
Well worth the time to visit Very nice Musee for art lovers. Well worth the time to visit and plan on being there for several hours. Before we started our tour we ate a light lunch in the coffee shop. Sandwiches were tasty and staff courteous. We then started on the first floor and worked our way up. There were two major exhibitions on each floor. Each very well organized and easy to follow. Although I personally like the impressionist type art such as from Claude Monet. We enjoyed the variety presentations here which gave us a broader view of the art world.
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Brooke B.

Yelp
We had a nice time walking around the museum for about two hours. There were some nice exhibits, others not so much, such as the contemporary wing. There are about 4 buildings in total, all connected through walkways. One was in a prison, which was the best part. I think if you have already done a lot in the city, this is a fun way to spend a few hours but I do not think I would visit again.
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Rebekah E.

Yelp
2017 Review 76/100 Not bad, but certainly not up in my list of top art museums. I'll caveat this review by saying the historical art wing was closed for construction the day we went and I generally gravitate more to historical art than modern art. So, I'm sure we would have enjoyed the experience more if that wing had been opened. As a result, I would give this place another try the next time I'm in Quebec City. I think the issue was the exhibits that were in house at that particular time just weren't capitvating for us. All this being said, the building is beautiful. The grounds are beautiful. And the exhibits to switch out. So I would still recommend art lovers pay this place a visit when visiting Quebec City.
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Brien M.

Yelp
The museum is situated in a beautiful, historic park with a wonderful view of the river and the chateau in the distance. The reception area shows a creative use of earth berms and living roofs, and the galleries make wonderful use of the old city prison. The Inuit art, part of the permanent collection, was beautiful but even more important was the little bit of history that we learned about these original inhabitants of Canada. There was also a nice exhibit of works by a Quebec sculptor and puppet maker. Lunch in the café du musée was inexpensive and delicious. They make excellent wraps and salads with very friendly, young staff on hand with seating in exposed brick portions of the old prison. Great experience. Highly recommended.
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Lari W.

Yelp
An absolutely incredible musuem and gallery. A large variety of artworks on display, mainly Contemporary and Modern, but also Canadian and Inuit art are on display here. What fascinated me much more than the collection through was the arrangement of the musuem itself. Seperated into 3/4 pavilions which are connected underground, the different styles are all portrayed individually and with strong focus. I was especially excited by the Modern Art Pavilion, which is located in an old brick building, creating a fascinsting contrast between the walls around you and the artworks presented in front of them. 10/10 would recommend a visit!
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Selena H.

Yelp
A wonderful experience. The museum is an immersive experience and holds a range of exhibitions that we really enjoyed. Plus there are wonderful views from many of the areas.
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Glenn C.

Yelp
Very good museum with a very pricy snooty cafe. A bit far away from the main touristy area (you'll probably have to take a bus) but highly recommended. Had a bunch of different exhibits, some permanent. The museum is split between two sections. First floor/exhibit 1 to 3 had modern art, a mix of art that had works similar to Jackson Pollack as well as some modern abstract paintings and some other "kaleidoscope" influenced pieces. Not my favorite style of art but good. 2nd floor had the featured exhibit, Alfred Pellan, who has since become a favorite. He does a mix of art, but most has a surrealistic aspect and are quite creative. This was both of our favorite exhibits across all three museums. It was a special though. Third floor was some older pieces along with art history. Good stuff but for history i would recommend based on exhibits, the other two museums seen next in my reviews. Anyway, it rained so we could not walk to lunch. Only place we saw was an expensive white tablecloth cafe. Was pricy and the people were snooty (I'll update this to a full review if they have separate ones for the cafe.) After the non memorable meal, we went to the second section, which had a mini inexpensive cafe (which had no sign pointing to it in the front ofc) and some other exhibits. The other ones were an Inuit art section (solid,) an observatory with semi-nice views, and a funny artist who made different sculptures and nic knacks based on all different satire. This was the other best thing. Blame Pellan and the other special exhibition for the good review. The museum is fine otherwise but would have gotten a 3 or 2 (because of that restaurant) if not for those exhibits. OK
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DA W.

Yelp
A gorgeous space. Went there for the Bonnard exhibit which we loved, but there was even so much more to see! Fantastic modern and contemporary art. But where are the women (besides as muses)? The only drawback was when we realized how starving we were and went to the restaurant and the hostess there rudely brushed us away and said they was an event. How about offering to tell us where else we could find a bite to eat there?? So unhelpful. Luckily we found the cafe and found acceptable soup and sandwiches. The workers there were pleasant. A wonderful way to spend a snowy day.
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Kevin B.

Yelp
This fancy art museum in the Plaines d'Abraham is a fun stop if you're interested in a break from so many history-focused attractions. They have exhibits on sculptures, photography, modern art, and art of the indigenous peoples. While I had a fun time, I wish that there had been a bit more to do here. Nevertheless, consider stopping here if you're in an artsy mood and have time to kill.
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Brandon C.

Yelp
This is a nice museum. Had I not somehow stumbled in on a cultural day when I got in free instead of paying 18$, I might've given it three stars. There is a great collection of artifacts and paintings that reflect the history of Quebec City and its surroundings. The layout is somwhat disjointed, but it works. I wish they had not left racks of tables and chairs outside of a key exhibit, but other than that, the place was presentable. They have a diversity of special exhibits. There was a Canadian pottery artist exhibit and a glass exhibit that were both very good. Much of one section was closed in preparation for a new Degas exhibit. I did not leave here thinking "wow!", but it is still worth a visit. There is a major expansion underway that should add some exhibit space and wow.
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XV Q.

Yelp
An absolutely beautiful place to visit in the summer or winter. My hubby and I were there in the winter and it was so stunningly beautiful! A very charming city and museum! :)

Ann K.

Yelp
Wonderful museum with great exhibits!! A bit away from tourist sites but certainly worth the trip. Highly recommend you visit on your next trip to this wonderful city!!!
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Caleb A.

Yelp
This museum is situated in a beautiful park. They have a fantastic collection of Inuit art. Highly recommend.

Deborah M.

Yelp
This is a very interesting museum with a wide range of art in spacious exhibit halls. The restaurant is elegant and the food is delicious and beautifully served. The only unfortunate aspect of my visit was the admission and ticket purchase process. There were two lines, one for members and one for other visitors. The members broke their line and pushed in front of the non members and were allowed to do so. Everyone in the 'other people' queue felt irritated and treated with discourtesy by the museum admissions staff. This system can be easily fixed. Either invite members to arrive 15 minutes earlier with a special door for their entrance or tell them to stay in their own special line and not behave in such an entitled and abrasive fashion. Other museums have systems that make all visitors feel welcome; this museum should learn from them. Until that happens I suggest that first time visitors not show up at opening time; allow at least 15 minutes for the entitled folks to move in first.