Make the most of the festive season, get together in Quebec's museums!
Adèle Melot, communication officer
The holiday season festivities are an ideal opportunity to share convivial moments: festive meals, concerts, creative workshops, Christmas markets, board games or outdoor outings are all great ways to celebrate together. This spirit of community is also present in our museums, which invite you to experience magical moments once again this year!
On the museum's menu: a feast of discoveries
Quebec's museums are sure to whet your appetite with their festive, gourmet programming:
- The Moulin des Jésuites de Charlesbourg invites you to explore the influences of traditional Christmas dishes with their exhibition À table pour Noël (Christmas dining), which is being presented until December 22nd.
- Among the classics featured in Toys and Traditions – Holiday Delights at the Dorval Museum of Local History and Heritage, the Yule log holds a special place! In addition to tracing the origins of holiday customs, the exhibition features a remarkable collection of antique toys.
- In an entirely different approach, the Ecomuseum Zoo in Saint-Anne-de-Bellevue invites you to contribute to the preparation of the Christmas feast for the zoo's animals with the family-oriented activity “Holiday Feast: paw-fectly wrapped!” An out of the ordinary experience awaits you!
Enjoy the winter landscapes with fun outdoor activities
Looking to get some fresh air after the festive meals? Step into enchanted winter landscapes with a range of outdoor activities:
- The outdoor gardens of the Montreal Jardin botanique – Espace pour la vieare open all winter until 5 pm. While spending some time in the peace and quiet of these wide-open spaces, you may be lucky enough to spot a few animals…
- In Magog, the Marais de la Rivière au Cerises invites you to walk along a magical forest trail illuminated by a hundred torches.
- Over in Quebec City, make your way through the Battlefields Park with the whole family: the Plains of Abraham Museum challenges you to find a good luck charm that was cherished by winter sports champions.
- While you are, discover the Quebec Citadel in the company of the Royal 22nd Regiment Museum guides, while also taking in the breathtaking views of the snow-covered city and river.
Indoors: immersive experiences to take a break from the cold
If the weather discourages you from going outside, many museums offer indoor activities so you can enjoy nature without having to brave the cold:
- At Musée Beaulne the photographs brought together in the exhibition Grand Nord, Grand Sud invite you to explore the immensity of the planet's coldest regions. An inspiring immersion, albeit without the inconvenience of subfreezing weather!
- At the Musée d’art des beaux-arts de Sherbrooke, there is no need to step outside for a forest excursion, since the multi-sensorial exhibition A Forest Ramble allows you to go for a walk directly in the museum space.
- To explore another side of winter, come visit the rooms of Maison Saint-Gabriel. Thanks to a thematic guided tour, you'll learn how settlers coped with the harsh climate in New France.
- If children are part of you life, they will love the “Frissons glacés” (Icy chills) workshop given at La Cité de l’énergie on December 14, which will teach them how to solve the mysteries of snow and ice through playful scientific experiments.
- To let your imagination run wild, come to the McCord Stewart Museum where the workshop “The Arctic Story Workshop” invites you to create stories inspired by Inuit culture.
Music to warm the heart
- During the winter season, there's nothing like a warm musical atmosphere to get you in the holiday spirit
- On each weekend of December, the Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours at Historic site Marguerite-Bourgeoys features “Les Choralies,” a series of Christmas music concerts performed by various choirs. A magic moment in an enchanted setting!
- The Centre d’art Diane Dufresne presents holiday classics with musical performances on December 7 and 14.
- Finally, in Quebec City the classical polyphonic songs of La Colindarori will resonate in the public spaces of the Musée national des beaux-arts de Québec.
