Once the residence of Governor Claude de Ramezay, Château Ramezay Museum chronicles the rich history of Montreal. The history of this building dates back to the 18th Century when it was built and has been listed as an must-see historic sites by UNESCO. Now, it houses an impressive collection of antiques, photographs, paintings and costumes. This site is known for its frequent exhibitions from upcoming and veteran artists and has two permanent exhibitions.

Built on the site where the city's founders first landed, this history and archaeology museum opened exactly 350 years after the event, in 1992. Pointe-à-Callière Museum stands on the remains of original historical buildings, and parts of the old fortification walls are on display. It features a multimedia show and an underground archaeological tour, along with various temporary exhibits. Highlights include the triangular Éperon Building, the former Customs House, and Place Royale. Kids will especially enjoy learning first hand what it means to be an archaeologist in a fun engaging manner with the engaging Archaeo-Adventure Exhibition, while the Pirates or Privateers exhibition will thrill them as they learn about life on the High-seas. With plenty of events and activities, the museum is a true cultural hub in the city.

Located at Place des Arts, this museum prides itself on presenting extraordinary, sometimes controversial contemporary art in an uncluttered and welcoming setting. There is a reasonable permanent collection of Canadian artists and the outdoor sculpture garden, which changes seasonally, is of particular interest. Among the best known components of the collection are works by Paul-Émile Borduas and renowned photographer Jeff Wall. Temporary exhibitions include photography, multimedia, sculpture, film and artist-in-residence programs.

Housed in what was once McGill University's student union building, McCord Museum was born in 1921 - the vision of passionate collector David Ross McCord. Today it houses almost 900,000 objects consisting of ethnological and archaeological materials, costumes and textiles, photographs, paintings, prints, drawings and decorative arts, all related to Canadian social and cultural history. The museum offers interactive animation exhibitions, guided tours and publications. Stop into the boutique for native Canadian arts and crafts, fine china, pottery, jewelry, posters, exhibition catalogs and greetings cards.

Biosphere museum and exhibition hall is dedicated to raising environmental and ecological awareness among its visitors. Housed in the world's largest geodesic dome, which is one of few remaining structures from the Expo's, it offers four levels of guided discovery. The bottom level examines water as both Source of Life and Source of Delight, the Connections Hall showcases multimedia presentations focusing on environmental protection, and the Visions Hall affords an incredible view of Montreal.

Facing the Arts Building on the McGill University campus, this example of award-winning Victorian Classicism and late Greek Revival architecture was commissioned in 1880 and opened in 1882. Its eclectic architecture goes well with its natural history collection, which includes prehistoric and modern animals, rocks, crystals and precious stones. It even has a small collection of famous Burgess Shale fossils. A dinosaur skeleton dominates the main display area, while temporary exhibits are found at the entrance to the hall.

Musée des Beaux-arts de Montréal has put together one of the best collections of fine art in North America. The museum moved to its present location just before the World War. The Jean-Noel Desmarais building holds most of the temporary exhibits while the permanent collection lies in the Benaiah Gibb building across the street. The museum also stages special programs such as lectures, noontime and evening concerts, and films.

Art and history come together to depict Lachine's fascinating history at Musée de Lachine. Comprising the historic Le Ber-Le Moyne, 17th-century structure and a sculpture garden, there is much to admire at this fabulous museum. The Maison Le Ber-Le Moyne takes visitors on a historic journey through its transition from a fur-trading post to a farm house and manor. Temporary exhibits, held in the Pavillon Benoît-Verdickt and the Pavillon de l'Entrepôt, run the gamut of modern art, while the Outdoor Sculpture Museum in René-Lévesque Park is a wonderful way to spend the afternoon.