Musée de la civilisation

The Musée de la civilisation is a major museum in Quebec City’s Old Quebec near the Saint Lawrence River, opened in 1988 and designed by Moshe Safdie. Conceived as a history museum with a broad emphasis on society, culture, and ethnography, it blends new construction with historic neighborhood buildings, including the former Banque de Paris and Maison Estèbe on Saint-Pierre Street. Its collections exceed 225,000 objects spanning art, social history, and ethnography, and its exhibitions explore place, identity, Indigenous histories, and Quebec society. It also offers children’s spaces, guided visits, research resources, and other public amenities, and remains an important cultural institution.