The 10 Best Art Museums in Canada, Canada

COVID-19 UPDATE: As of June 12, 2020 we will be encouraging visiting us by appointment in order to ensure we can monitor numbers. Contact the museum via phone or email to book your tour today! Dayspring is the largest home in St. Andrews-by-the-Sea, New Brunswick, Canada. It was built in 1928 for Lewis Egerton Smoot, an American businessman from Washington. In 1947 Dayspring was sold to Algoma Steel, then owned by Sir James Dunn. Algoma transferred ownership to Sir James and he and his third wife, Marcia Anastasia Christoforides. In 1995 Dayspring was purchased by Vincent Prager, a lawyer from Montreal and the only son of Eva Prager O.C. and eldest grandson of Joseph Oppenheimer R.P. In 2011 when he donated it to The Joseph and Fanny Oppenheimer Foundation so that a Museum could be opened – the Oppenheimer-Prager Museum at Dayspring – to exhibit works by Joseph Oppenheimer and Eva Prager, as well as the estates history with the Dunn’s and Beaverbrooks

At Glenbow, history buffs, art lovers and pop culture fanatics can all find something inspiring. Explore fascinating historical galleries and exhibitions of art and culture from around the world. We are conveniently located in downtown Calgary on Stephen Avenue Mall, just steps from the Calgary Tower and one block away from the C-Train LRT line.

The MMFA is one of Canada’s most visited museums and the eighth-most visited museum in North America, boasting more than 1.3 million visitors. The MMFA's original temporary exhibitions combine various artistic disciplines – fine arts, music, film, fashion and design – and are exported around the world. Its rich encyclopedic collection, distributed among five pavilions, includes international art, world cultures, decorative arts and design, and Quebec and Canadian art. The Museum has seen exceptional growth in recent years with the addition of two new pavilions: the Claire and Marc Bourgie Pavilion, in 2011, and the Michal and Renata Hornstein Pavilion for Peace, in 2016. The MMFA complex includes Bourgie Hall, a 460-seat concert hall. The Museum also houses the Michel de la Chenelière International Atelier for Education and Art Therapy, the largest educational complex in a North American art museum, enabling the MMFA to offer innovative educational, wellness and art therapy programmes

Art museum focusing on provincial and Canadian artwork in various mediums.

Explore traditional and contemporary art from Northwest Coast First Nations and other cultures across the world. See magnificent Indigenous carvings, weavings and contemporary artworks in a spectacular building overlooking mountains and sea. Admire the world’s largest collection of works by acclaimed Haida artist Bill Reid, including his famous cedar sculpture The Raven and the First Men. Explore the Museum’s Multiversity Galleries where more than 10,000 objects from around the world are displayed. Stroll the Museum Grounds, where monumental Haida houses, poles and Musqueam house posts capture the dramatic beauty of traditional Northwest Coast architecture and design. Enjoy a wide range of special exhibitions and public programs, including free guided gallery walks. Visit the MOA Shop and relax in Cafe MOA. MOA is situated on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Musqueam people.

With a collection of more than 90,000 works of art, the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) is among the largest and most distinguished art museums in North America. An international landmark, the AGO is also one of Canada’s most innovative cultural destinations. Highlights of the Gallery’s world-class collection include iconic Canadian and Inuit works, along with European and contemporary art – all on view in a spectacular building transformed by renowned Toronto-born architect Frank Gehry. After spending time with the AGO’s vast collection, be sure to enjoy a meal or glass of wine at the Gallery’s award-winning restaurant FRANK. Visit shopAGO for a unique collection of artful gifts, one-of-a-kind jewelry, and beautiful art books.

Canadian art and stories - through a distinctly Canadian art experience.The McMichael Canadian Art Collection offers its visitors a unique and truly Canadian experience. From the art within the gallery on its walls to the surrounding landscape, the McMichael is the perfect gallery for an introduction to Canada's art, its peoples, their cultures and their history.Renowned for its devotion to collecting only Canadian art, the McMichael permanent collection consists of almost 6,000 artworks by Tom Thomson, the Group of Seven, their contemporaries, and First Nations, Inuit and other artists who have made a contribution to Canada's artistic heritage.The gallery welcomes on average 100,000 visitors annually.Intriguing. Inviting. Inspiring.The McMichael Canadian Art Collection is a major public art gallery devoted solely to collecting Canadian art. The gallery offers visitors the unique opportunity to enjoy Canadian landscape paintings in the woodland setting that inspired them. Plus the McMichael brings internationally acclaimed touring exhibitions to its audience, providing a broader context for the collection and also reflecting today's audience's higher demand and interest in art. The McMichael's goal is to bring visitors diverse, creative, high-quality, thought-provoking exhibitions, in order to continually keep its audience engaged and interested.Built of fieldstone and hand-hewn logs, the McMichael houses thirteen exhibition galleries and is situated amid 100 acres of serene conservation land. Floor-to-ceiling windows enable visitors to enjoy marvellous views of the densely wooded Humber River Valley.Through a network of outdoor paths and hiking trails, visitors can discover outdoor sculptures and wander the McMichael Cemetery where six Group of Seven members and gallery co-founders Robert and Signe McMichael have been laid to rest.See. Do. Discover.The McMichael displays a wide range of exhibitions each year, and offers a stimulating array of programs and events for people of all ages. They include curators' lectures, tours, music performances, kids' camps, workshops, school programs and hands-on art activities.Experience Canada in a day at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection.

Situated in the capital of the Northwest Territories, the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre (PWNHC) produces exhibitions that tell stories about the land, people, and history of the NWT. However, the PWNHC is "more than a museum". In addition to its exhibits, education, collections, and conservation programs, the PWNHC houses the NWT Archives, provides technical, logistic, and financial support to individuals and organizations involved in cultural activities and the arts, and authorizes archaeological studies in the NWT.

The Winnipeg Art Gallery, Canada's oldest civic art gallery, celebrates its 100th anniversary from Sept 2012 to Aug 2013. As one of Canada's leading art museums, the WAG has over 25,000 works of art ranging from 15th century European paintings to 21st century American multi-media art, and has toured exhibitions around the world-Spain, Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela, Taiwan, Norway, China, Italy, and the United States. At the forefront in promoting Manitoba artists nationwide and abroad, the WAG also represents artists from countries and cultures from across the globe.

Visit one of Canada's most vital art galleries and experience the wonder and magic of the visual arts. A world-class collection meets the tranquility of the Maritimes at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery in Fredericton – explore outstanding art and exhibitions from an international art collection featuring works by renowned and rising artists alike. Explore diverse exhibitions, find favorites from the collection, take a break at the café, and find something to bring home in the shop.