Frommer's Review
Try to set aside at least 2 hours for a visit to this special museum, one of the most engrossing in all of Canada -- or anywhere, for that matter. Designed by the McGill University?trained Moshe Safdie and opened in 1988, the Museum of Civilization is an innovative presence in the historic Basse-Ville, near Place-Royale and the waterfront. A dramatic atrium-lobby sets the tone with a representation of the St. Lawrence River with an ancient ship beached on the shore. Through the glass wall in back you can see the 1752 Maison Estèbe, now restored to contain the museum shop. It stands above vaulted cellars, which can also be viewed.
The precise mission of the museum has never been entirely clear. For example, recent temporary exhibits have included the science and fiction of dragons, 110 years of Québec cinema, the cultural origins of money, and the opportunity to solve a faux murder. But nevermind: Through highly imaginative display techniques, hands-on devices, computers, holograms, videos, and even an ant farm, the curators have ensured that visitors will be so enthralled by the experience that they won't pause to question its intent.
If time is short, definitely use it to take in "Memoires," a permanent exhibit that is a sprawling examination of Québec history, moving from the province's roots as a fur-trading colony to the present. Furnishings from frontier homes, tools of the trappers' trade, religious garments from the 19th century, and 20th-century posters endow visitors with a rich sense of Québec's daily life from generation to generation. Another permanent exhibition called "Encounter with the First Nations" examines the products and visions of the aboriginal tribes that inhabit Québec. Exhibit texts are in French and English, and there's a café on the ground floor.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
