Updated July 10, 2010
Montreal has existed as a continuous European-style settlement since 1642, and was the site of first nations encampments for untold centuries before that. As one of the North American cities with deepest roots it naturally has a number of important and interesting history museums.
Pointe-à-Callière
McCord Museum
Centre d'histoire de Montréal
David M. Stewart museum
Other history museums
Pointe-à-Callière museum
Place Royale – 514-872-9150
Bus 515
Official website – Wikipedia page
The Pointe-à-Callière museum focuses on Montreal's history and archaeology, and is built at what's generally considered to be the founding spot of the original French colony of 1642. Part of its charm is that its basement contains walls from some of the original European structures built in the area, long sunk below present-day street level. Its mandate is to preserve the archaeological remains of these early settlements for future generations as well as to educate the public about the history of the city.
The main museum building dates from 1992 and was built on the site of the old Royal Insurance Company building which had stood on that spot since 1860. The shape of the lot dictated that the new building should be shaped similarly, and a tower was added partly as a homage to the earlier design.
The museum also includes the old customs house (which now houses its gift shop), an old sewage pumping station nearby, and archaeological sites in the area. Plans are afoot to develop access to disused sewers in the area and excavate the remains of the pre-Confederation Canadian parliament building that burned down in 1849 on nearby Youville Square.
There's a permanent exhibit on the origins of Montreal and a multimedia introduction to the city's history in French and English. The museum usually hosts two or three travelling shows with historical connections throughout the year plus an ongoing program of lectures and activities. Most notably, in late August it holds a two-day 18th-century-style public market in and around Place Royale, with costumed soldiers, traditional snacks for sale and handmade products and wares being sold from market stalls.
The museum is a five-minute walk from the Montreal History Centre along Place d'Youville.
McCord Museum
690 Sherbrooke West – 514-398-7100
Metro McGill or Bus 24
Official website – Wikipedia page – Wikipedia page (French)
The McCord Museum of Canadian History is a research and teaching museum. It was founded in 1921 by David Ross McCord, a wealthy Montreal lawyer who amassed a large collection of items related to Canadian history. On his death, McGill University took charge of the collection and administered the museum for many years. It is supported by all levels of government and members, donors and sponsors.
The museum building was the original McGill student union building, designed by Percy Erskine Nobbs and built in 1905. It was converted for use by the museum in 1971.
The permanent exhibit, Simply Montreal, presents a mass of artifacts from First Nations objects to photographs by William Notman, who documented many scenes and people in 19th-century Montreal. The museum also often hosts temporary exhibits of various kinds.
Montreal History Centre
335 Place d'Youville – 514-872-3207
Bus 515
Official website – Wikipedia page (French)
The Montreal History Centre is built in a beautiful old fire station dating from 1903, designed in a Flemish style unusual in Montreal. Disused as a fire station after 1972, the building was preserved by the 1983 inauguration of the History Centre. A major 2001 renovation gave us the museum we know now.
The permanent exhibit, Montréal en cinq temps, introduces the visitor to different eras in Montreal's history through an exhibit including historical objects and the projection of archival movies. A deliberately tactile and multimedia experience of what Montreal has been like at different eras of its history – elements like lamp posts, fireboxes, a streetcar ride, are brought together to give a sense of the layered history of the city.
The History Centre is a five-minute walk from the Pointe-à-Callière museum along Place d'Youville.
David M. Stewart Museum
20 chemin Tour de l'Isle (the Old Fort), Île Sainte-Hélène – 514-861-6701
Metro Jean-Drapeau
Official website – Wikipedia page on the Old Fort
The Old Fort on Île Sainte-Hélène was constructed in the 1820s as part of a chain of fortifications being put in place by the British.
During World War II it was used as a prison for people interned in the course of hostilities. It is still used by historically reconstructed 18th-century regiments.
The museum usually has a permanent exhibit as well as a temporary one.
The David M. Stewart Museum is currently closed for renovations and is expected to reopen in autumn 2010.
Other historical museums
Montreal has numerous smaller, specialized museums of history. They have a collective website.
Montreal Firemen's Museum
5100 boulevard Saint-Laurent at Laurier
on the east side of the fire station
This museum contains a surprisingly large collection of artifacts connected with the history of firefighting in Montreal. The wall of helmets belonging to firemen who died in action is quite moving. It is, however, only open Sunday afternoons between 1:30 and 4:30.
Lachine museum
1, chemin du Musée, Lachine
near the western end of the Lachine Canal
The building that houses the Lachine museum dates back to 1669 and the fur trade that was once the biggest thing in the local economy. It has historical exhibits but also shows recent art by local artists, and there is a sculpture garden in the surrounding park.
The Fur Trade in Lachine national historic site
1255 Saint-Joseph, Lachine
Maison Saint Gabriel (beware loud clanging bell sound fx)
2146 Place Dublin, Montreal - 514-935-8136
Wikipedia page
A surprising piece of history lingering in lower Point St. Charles, the remnant of a farm that's been worked by the Congregation of Notre-Dame for over 300 years.
Musée des hospitalières de l'Hôtel-Dieu
201 Pine Avenue West - 514-849-2919
The history of the hospital sisters of Hôtel-Dieu is deeply connected to the origins of Montreal itself. The museum has interesting old artifacts, not so much old medical devices as religious and historical pieces connected with the adjoining cloisters and the city's history.