The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal) is a prominent visual arts museum located in the historic Golden Square Mile district of Montreal, Quebec. This guide covers opening hours, ticket prices, transport, parking, accessibility, and practical visitor tips.
This comprehensive visitor guide was updated in May 2026 to confirm the $32 general admission pricing and the current Wednesday evening discount structure for adult visitors.
Quick facts
| Feature | Details |
| Opening hours | Tuesday to Sunday: 10:00 to 17:00. Wednesday: 10:00 to 21:00. |
| Ticket prices | Adults (26+): $32. Wednesday evenings: $16. Under 25: Free. |
| Address | 1380 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3G 1J5. |
| Nearest public transport or parking | Guy-Concordia or Peel metro stations. Concordia University paid parking. |
| Typical time needed to visit | Two to three hours for the permanent collections and temporary exhibitions. |
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts opening hours
The museum opens to the public from Tuesday to Sunday at 10:00 and generally closes at 17:00. On Wednesdays, the facility extends its evening hours and remains open to visitors until 21:00, though the permanent collection galleries close at 17:00.
The attraction is completely closed to the public every Monday throughout the year. The site also completely shuts down on major public holidays including Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, and Labour Day, but remains open on statutory holidays like Canada Day and Victoria Day.
Montreal Museum of Fine Arts ticket prices
Standard adult admission for anyone aged 26 and older costs $32. The museum provides entirely free admission for anyone aged 25 and under, while adult entry drops to $16 on Wednesday evenings between 17:00 and 21:00. Individuals aged 65 and over receive free admission on Tuesday mornings between 10:00 and 13:00.
Opening hours and ticket prices were checked on the official website and last updated in May 2026.
The facility is included in the Passeport MTL tourist scheme, which grants free or discounted admission to dozens of regional attractions. This municipal city pass also covers entry to La Grande Roue de Montréal, the McCord Stewart Museum, the Montreal Botanical Garden, and the Biosphere. Quebec residents receive free entry to the permanent collection on the first Sunday of every month.
How to get to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
The most efficient way to reach the museum using public transport is to ride the Montreal Metro’s Green Line. Visitors can alight at either the Peel or Guy-Concordia metro stations, as the main entrance sits evenly between both transit stops on Sherbrooke Street West. Visitors arriving by train from outside the city can connect directly to the metro system from the central Gare Centrale railway station.
If you prefer to travel by bus, the local STM Route 24 travels directly along Sherbrooke Street and stops immediately outside the main pavilion doors. The site also provides seasonal BIXI bicycle-sharing docks directly adjacent to the primary entrance for visitors cycling through the downtown core.
Parking at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
The museum does not own or operate a dedicated private visitor car park on its grounds. Visitors travelling by private vehicle must use the paid indoor parking garage located down the street at Concordia University’s J.-W. McConnell Pavilion. This university parking facility provides secure, covered spaces just a short walk from the museum gates.
You will also find limited, metered street parking along Sherbrooke Street and the surrounding residential avenues, which require payment via municipal kiosks or mobile applications. Specific metered spaces reserved exclusively for vehicles displaying a valid disabled parking permit are situated close to the entrance on Du Musée Avenue.
How long to spend at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
You should allocate between two and three hours to view the permanent collections and the primary temporary exhibitions. This timeframe provides sufficient opportunity to walk through the main Jean-Noël Desmarais Pavilion and navigate the connecting underground galleries.
If you intend to participate in a guided tour or dine at the on-site Aube Café, you should plan to stay for a full half-day. Visitors focusing strictly on a single temporary exhibition usually finish their visit within one hour.
Accessibility at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
The facility is fully accessible for wheelchair users, individuals using mobility scooters, and visitors pushing prams. Every public level across the different pavilions connects seamlessly via modern passenger elevators and wide, step-free access ramps. Restrooms with accessible stalls are available on almost every floor of the complex.
The museum provides a limited number of manual wheelchairs that visitors can borrow entirely free of charge from the main coat check desk. The facility also permits visitors to bring their own collapsible seating sticks if they require frequent rest periods while viewing the artworks. Guide dogs and registered service animals are legally permitted throughout all exhibition rooms and public facilities.
Inside / what to see at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
The complex spans five interconnected pavilions, displaying an extensive collection of over 45,000 diverse historical and contemporary objects. Visitors typically start in the modern Jean-Noël Desmarais Pavilion, which houses major temporary exhibitions and international contemporary art collections.
A notable feature is the Claire and Marc Bourgie Pavilion, which is dedicated entirely to historical and contemporary Quebec and Canadian art. This section displays important paintings by the Group of Seven, Paul-Émile Borduas, and Jean Paul Riopelle, alongside a comprehensive collection of regional Inuit art and historical artefacts.
The Michal and Renata Hornstein Pavilion focuses primarily on international art, classic antiquities, and global historical items. Visitors walking through these traditional galleries will view classic paintings by celebrated European artists such as Rembrandt, Picasso, and Monet.
The Liliane and David M. Stewart Pavilion houses the museum’s extensive decorative arts and design collection. These rooms feature thousands of industrial design objects, historic furniture pieces, and delicate textiles spanning from the Renaissance period to the modern era.
Outside the buildings, visitors can walk through the free public sculpture garden located along Sherbrooke Street and Du Musée Avenue. This outdoor space features large-scale contemporary installations and bronze works seamlessly integrated into the surrounding urban environment.
Practical visitor tips
| Tip category | Advice |
| Timing | Arrive immediately at 10:00 on a weekday morning to view the major temporary exhibitions with minimal crowding. |
| Crowds | Avoid visiting on the first Sunday of the month, as Quebec residents receive free entry and the galleries become exceptionally busy. |
| Layout | Download the official museum application to access detailed floor plans and free audio guides for the permanent collections. |
| Entry process | Purchase your standard admission tickets online in advance to bypass the ticketing queue at the main entrance desk. |
| On-site logistics | You must leave large backpacks, umbrellas, and heavy winter coats in the mandatory, free cloakroom situated near the main entrance. |
Frequently asked questions about the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
| Question | Answer |
| Is the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts suitable for children? | Yes, children are welcome, entry is entirely free for anyone 25 and under, and the museum hosts weekend family activities. |
| Do you need to book tickets in advance for the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts? | No, but advance online booking is highly recommended for temporary exhibitions that frequently sell out during peak seasons. |
| Is the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts open on Sundays? | Yes, the museum operates standard weekend hours and is open to the public from 10:00 to 17:00 every Sunday. |
| Are bags allowed at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts? | Small day bags are permitted in the galleries, but large backpacks and luggage must be deposited in the cloakroom. |
| Are dogs allowed at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts? | No, standard pets are strictly prohibited from entering the facility, with exceptions made only for registered service animals. |
Things to do near the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
- McCord Stewart Museum: A prominent public museum focused heavily on the social history, indigenous cultures, and historical photography of Montreal.
- Mount Royal Park: An elevated urban park designed by Frederick Law Olmsted featuring extensive walking trails and panoramic city viewpoints.
- Redpath Museum: A natural history facility situated on the McGill University campus displaying dinosaur skeletons, fossils, and ancient mummies.
- Mary Queen of the World Cathedral: A large minor basilica in downtown Montreal constructed as a scale replica of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
- The Underground City: A vast, interconnected subterranean network of shopping centres, hotels, and transit stations located beneath the downtown core.
What to visit tomorrow
- Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal (MAC): A central institution dedicated strictly to contemporary visual arts and immersive multimedia installations.
- Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA): An international research institution and museum exploring the history, theory, and societal impact of global architecture.
- National Gallery of Canada: A national art museum situated two hours away in Ottawa, featuring the country’s most comprehensive Canadian art collection.
- Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec: A provincial art museum located in Quebec City focusing exclusively on the historical and modern art of Quebec.
- Musée d’art de Joliette: A significant regional visual arts museum situated one hour north of Montreal, known for its strong contemporary collections.
More Montreal travel
Other Montreal travel articles on Planet Whitley include:
- Five great places to stay in Vieux Montreal.
- Three great places to stay in Montreal’s Centre-Ville.
- Why Pointe-a-Calliere is the best museum in Vieux Montreal.
- Why Montreal is Canada’s best city.
- A visitor guide to the Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal.
