City: Centre-Ville (Downtown)
Top Things to do in Centre-Ville (Downtown)
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What to do and see in Centre-Ville (Downtown), Canada: The Best Specialty Museums
Montreal, c’est si bon! This French-speaking city is considered the cultural capital of Canada, and is a cosmopolitan celebration of Québécois style. A horse-drawn carriage ride around the cobblestone streets and grand buildings of Vieux-Montréal will give you a taste of European flavor. The Basilique Notre-Dame is a confection of stained glass, and the Plateau Mont-Royal district will delight you with its quaint boutiques and cafés. Dig in to a massive plate of poutine to fuel up for a tour of the epic Olympic Park.
Restaurants in Montreal
1. Barbie Expo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,308 reviews
This is not Barbie as you once knew her! The Barbie Expo, conveniently located in the heart of downtown, in Les Cours Mont Royal, Montreal’s most prestigious upscale shopping mall, is a brilliant and exciting way to showcase the haute couture fashion available at the exclusive flagship boutiques within the mall. The stunning display houses over 1000 dolls, and is the largest permanent Barbie doll Expo in the world! A truly incredible selection of world-renowned designers have magnificently fashioned breathtaking outfits for every possible occasion—all of them modeled by the 11.5 inch fashion icon herself. Admission is free. Designers on display include Christian Dior, Donna Karan, Armani, Ralph Laurent, Vera Wang, Bill Blass, Oscar de la Renta, Christian Louboutin, Zac Posen, Carolina Herrera, Bob Mackie, and many other authentic fashion all-stars!
Reviewed By eastflower
A free exhibit of a large collection of Barbies dressed in beautiful costumes, some designed by famous ones. There are Barbies dressed in typical clothes of different countries and cultures, TV and movie characters, fancy brands, etc. It’s inside a mall, a bit difficult to find but worth the visit.
2. McCord Museum
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 327 reviews
The McCord Museum is home to one of the largest historical collections in North America (more than 1.4 million artefacts), consisting of First Peoples objects, costumes and textiles, photographs, decorative and visual artworks, and textual archives. It produces exciting exhibitions that engage visitors by offering them a contemporary look at the world.
Reviewed By J--Harpswell - Harpswell, United States
After a disappointing visit to the archeological museum at Pointe a Calliere yesterday, we were ready for something better — and we found it at the McCord. Easy to reach via the Metro, the museum was such a pleasure from the beginning to the end of our visit. The exhibition of First Peoples clothing and other cultural objects was superb — a good size to cover, beautiful artifacts, clear narrative. The temporary exhibit of clothing designer Jean-Claude Poitras was also quite good. The museum is well designed architecturally, easy and comfortable to move through. The bistro provides very good food and service. Only the shop was less interesting than we expected. Worth a visit, without doubt!
3. Grevin Montreal
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 570 reviews
Located on the 5th floor of the Montreal Eaton Centre, the Grévin Museum is the place to see and to be seen. With its original décor and ambiance, its interactive and sensory experiences and over 127 wax figures, including local and international celebrities from the past and present, Grévin gives the public of all ages a unique chance to meet the stars. No doubt, it’s the most entertaining museum in Montreal!
Reviewed By bellesque
The wax figures are very well done for the most part. There's a great light show at the start and then you move into a lot of Canadian celebs and even the Queen of England makes an appearance. Along the route there are bits of costumes you can put on and take photo with the was figures. There's also a fun thing to do: make a mask of your face and how you'll look in wax. You can pix a wig, various colors, clothing. The largest space is for the film and music etc. celebs, Marilyn Monroe being the first you meet. If you like wax museums, this is an upscale one.
4. Fonderie Darling
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 5 reviews
Free on Thursday and 5$ on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Darling Foundry is a place for the visual arts, located in a factory of old industrial nieghbourhood Griffintown. It presents contemporary exhibitions in three industrial-look spaces and welcomes artists in residencies.
5. Canadian Centre for Architecture (Centre Canadien d'Architecture)
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 80 reviews
This museum includes several galleries dedicated to various architectural styles and serves as an interesting example of postmodern architecture itself.
Reviewed By OutdoorGal17
Located near the Guy-Concordia station on the Green Line, the CCA is a beautifully designed tribute to architecture, blending the old (the 1874 Shaughnessy House) with new construction. In addition to viewing their current exhibits, be sure to also visit the Shaughnessy House, entering from the CCA. Among the highlights are wonderful mahagony-paneled rooms, a conservatory, and molded plaster ceiling details. IMPORTANT NOTE: the entrance is located at the rear of the building, next to a green, and off Rue Baile. The area is fenced but enter one of the gates and head toward a large mural. There is no entrance from Shaughnessy House on Boulevard Rene-Levesque.
6. Musee Marc-Aurele Fortin
This museum displays the work of Marc-Aurèle Fortin, who painted the Quebec landscape with watercolors, and also includes a collection of temporary exhibits by other local painters.
