McCord Stewart Museum

The McCord Stewart Museum offers a compelling exploration of Montreal’s and Canada’s social history through six major collections: Photography, Indigenous Cultures, Dress/Fashion/Textiles, Documentary Art, Material Culture and Archives. With some 2.5 million items—including over 2.15 million photographs and the UNESCO‑recognized Notman Photographic Archives—the museum serves as one of North America’s foremost historical repositories.

Permanent exhibitions such as Indigenous Voices of Today: Knowledge, Trauma, Resilience engage visitors in critical perspectives on local First Nations experiences. Rotating temporary shows (e.g. Pounding the Pavement street photography, Costume Balls: Dressing Up History, 1870–1927) change seasonally and offer cultural depth. The museum acknowledges its location on unceded Kanien’kehá:ka territory and incorporates decolonization and sustainability commitments into its programming and operations.

Visitor amenities include the on‑site Café Notman, a boutique, group and educational programming, plus an outdoor pedestrianized space “Museum Alley” on Victoria Street. Admission is pay‑what‑you‑can first Sunday monthly and free under‑20 Quebec residents; group discounts and pay‑as‑you‑wish options offered. Located in downtown Montreal at 690 rue Sherbrooke West, across from McGill University, the museum welcomes approximately 150,000 indoor visitors/year (2022 data).