The silver, shining Planetarium sits right next door to the bustling Biodome, where visitors walk through diverse, lively ecosystems of animals and plants – the two buildings, in appearance and content, might seem like different worlds, one of space, one of earth, but they have much in common.

“What we’re doing here is really connecting people to nature, exploring the position of human kind in nature through not only science but through emotion and experience so that people fall in love with nature and protect it,” says Charles-Mathieu Brunelle, General Director of Space for Life, the group of science and nature-focused attractions comprised of the new Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium, the Biodome, the Insectarium and the Botanical Gardens.

The Planetarium’s main attractions are its two high-tech domed theatres, where the many facets of our universe come into clearer focus. The Milky Way Theatre is classic Planetarium fare with the latest high-tech, optomechanical twists, able to reproduce the night sky as it is above Montreal or anywhere else in the world at any time – thankfully, an astronomer is there to narrate us through the complexity.

The Chaos Theatre adds a more creative element to the Planetarium experience, with its bean-bag and Adirondack chairs and pitch-black, high-shine floor. For the next year, visitors can sit back and travel through the cosmos via immersive audio-visual, digital-projection creation Continuum, created by artists Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon and featuring the symphonic music of Philip Glass. Add to that the permanent interactive exhibition, Exo, which includes an investigation of life on Earth as well as a collection of meteorites, and the Planetarium is a complete educational-entertainment experience.

The building itself is pleasing to the senses too, with curving corridors, high-ceilinged darkened theatres and bright open spaces. From outside, its mirrored surfaces seem to blend in with the sky, whatever the weather. Designed to the highest sustainable-building LEED certification, the Planetarium is based on the concept of low-energy use, making great use of natural light, grey water in the bathrooms, and building with a focus on reused, recycled and locally sourced materials.

By late spring, we’ll even have a chance to lay on the building’s green roof and look at the real stars too. “Connecting humankind to nature is important to us and we want to do it wholeheartedly in every way we do it,” says Brunelle. “When people come to see the performances and the shows, if they come out with this emotional bond with nature, we will have done our job.”

A

THE DETAILS

Rio Tinto Alcan Planetarium, opening April 6, 2013

4801 Pierre-De Coubertin Avenue, (514) 872-4530

The post TOUCH THE STARS AT MONTREAL’S NEW PLANETARIUM appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

(light entertainment) The winter nights light even brighter during the 14th Montréal en Lumière, a festival of food, free outdoor activities (a ferris wheel, an ice slide and more!), music, theatre and dance shows, and other entertainment. Gourmet cuisine comes in all shapes and sizes at the festival, from multi-course meals to cheese samplings – see our Top 5 food picks for ideas. Tango enthusiasts and the curious are in for a treat at tango-meets-cabaret-meets-circus show and milonga La Pista Tango, the art of singer Tonny Bennett is on display, French music star -M- plays February 22, theatre-dance show The Humanity Project provokes deep thoughts, Haitian-born Québécois artist Marie-Josée Lord sings February 25, singer and pianist Diana Krall entrances in a solo concert on February 26, and none other than The Zombies rock out on February 28.

(circus & butterflies) Add far more than a dash of bright colour to snowy days at the 34th Festival Mondial du Cirque de Demain, a internationally touring circus show featuring some of the top circus acts from the Paris-based competition of the same name, including acrobats, trapeze artists, jugglers, clowns, contortionists and more, to March 2 at La Tohu. More brightness awaits at the Butterflies Go Free exhibition at the Montreal Botanical Gardens, where 2000 butterflies and moths from around the world take up residence until the end of April. Or step outside at the Old Port to see the astounding athlethics involved in the Ice Canoe Races on February 23.

(dance & theatre) For the first time in Canada, the National Ballet of China performs Raise the Red Lantern, a classical Western ballet interpretation of Zhang Yimou’s dramatic film of the same name – the director even added his creative voice to the production by writing the libretto, designing the lighting and signing the stage direction – on stage February 22-24 at Place des Arts, presented by Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal. Danse Danse presents Corps de Walk, a thoroughly cool, contemporary-culture show (in music, movement and style) by choreographers Gai Behar and Sharon Eyal and 12 dancers of The Norwegian National Company of Contemporary Dance, February 28 and March 1-2 at Place des Arts.

(travel with art) Take a different kind of walk around downtown’s happening Quartier des Spectacles to the tune of Luminothérapie: use your iPhone or mp3 player to interact with art project Le jour des 8 soleils by artist Pascal Grandmaison who tells a story through video projects video projections on buildings in the area, from Berri-UQAM metro station to Place des Festivals and points in between. Indoors, visit Peru through its art, history and culture, presented in stunning detail at the MMFA’s Peru: Kingdoms of the Sun and Moon. The Musee d’art Contemporain features intriguing large-scale colour photography by celebrated photographer Lynne Cohen and an immersive, mysterious multi-room installation called Uraniborg, by French multidisciplinary artist Laurent Grasso.

(live music) Old Montreal cultural hub the PHI Centre hosts Thus: Owls on Friday, February 22 and follows that up on Saturday, February 23 with amazing Haiti fundraiser party Kanaval Kanape, with performances by Arcade Fire with Haitian group Doody & Kami and a dancetastic afterparty – in partnership with Black History Month Montreal. Also on Friday, ska-rock the night away with The Planet Smashers at Club Soda, while Bosnian Rainbows play Cabaret du Mile End and the good folks at Passovah Productions throw a party with Young Galaxy, Valleys and many more (plus doughnuts from Chez Boris!) at Il Motore. On Saturday night, dance to the electronic music of Bordello, Vosper and Jealous Lovers at the SAT. On Sunday, the MSO hosts conductor Gennady Rozhdestvensky and pianist Viktoria Postnikova, while The Montreal New Music International Festival showcases some of the best in new classical and experimental works. On February 25, feel the Irish spirit with Celtic Woman, February 25 at Place des Arts. On February 26, indie-experimental-rock artist Eels  is at Theatre Corona, and on February 27, Swedish House Mafia makes the Bell Centre thump.

The post THINGS TO DO IN MONTREAL: FEBRUARY 22-28 appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

(fabulous food) Thanksgiving wouldn’t be complete without a proper feast or three, so if on October 5 you’re  in the area of Olympic Park, wandering through the Botanical Gardens or visiting the Biodome at the Space for Life, stop in at the stadium’s outdoor grounds where their First Fridays event features gourmet food from some of Montreal’s fanciest food trucks: tacos at Grumman 78, burgers at Winneburger, sandwiches, poutine and more from Lucky’s Truck and La Mangeoire, ice cream and sundaes at Monsieur Crémeux, coffee at Café Dispatch, and more, starting at 4 p.m. On October 11, caterer and food enthusiast Nicolina Servello pairs cook books with delicious rustic food in an afternoon event at Indigo Place Montréal Trust, noon to 2 p.m.

(fall film) New feature films, fantastic shorts and experimental video work from around the world all come out to play at Montreal’s Festival du Nouveau Cinéma, October 10-21. Along with plenty of international fare, the fest features some of the best sort of Canadian content in Ang Lee’s Life of Pi, based on Montreal author Yann Martel’s novel, opening films Simon Galiero’s La Mise à l’aveugle and Martin Villeneuve’s Mars et Avril, screenings of work by French singer Albin de la Simone, Sarah Polley’s new film Stories We Tell, Albert Nerenberg’s witty doc Boredom, and many more. As well, the popular Temps Ø program continues this year with off-the-beaten-track features, shorts and documentaries.

(dance party) The Black and Blue Festival is all about making this weekend into a three-day LBGT-and-friends party, culminating in a massive all-night, all-morning, three-room dance party a Palais des Congrès on October 7, with DJs Gareth Emery, Sander van Doorn, David Morales and more. On Saturday afternoon and evening at Palais  des Congrès, get lost in free live music and entertainment event, De-Light, with entertainment from Debbie Tebbs, The Easton Ellises, Donzelle and other great Montreal performers. Of course, there’s also the night-time party rituals of Leather Ball on October 5 and the HardBall on October 6 at Club Soda.

(world-class performance) Les Grands Ballet Canadiens pulls out all the stops October 11-27 with choreographer Jiří Kylián’s Kaguyahime, The Moon, a ballet based on a culturally influential 10th-century Japanese folk tale of beauty, violence and worlds colliding. On a different note, The Segal Centre presents big-time Tony-award winning musical Guys and Dolls, to October 28. At the Centaur Theatre, see family drama August, An Afternoon in the Country by award winning playwright Jean Marc Dalpé. And French circus troupe Akoreacro positively delights with their acrobatic, musical circus Pfffffff, while Montreal-based circus Cirque Éloize blends circus arts with hip hop and breakdance in all-ages show iD, featuring 14 high-energy performers, both at Montreal circus centre La Tohu to October 6.

(art & architecture) Two new exhibitions at the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal are both real eye-openers: an amazing retrospective of the work of Montreal painter Pierre Dorion, and intriguing videos focused on far-off places and people by Brooklyn-based artist Janet Biggs – the MACM also holds its monthly Nocturnes music series on October 5, featuring Tanuki, 7 p.m. The Canadian Centre for Architecture opens its exhibition First, the Forests, looking at the relationship between forestry, planning and design. And definitely go to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts to see their outstanding Tom Wesselmann retrospective show, which closes this Sunday, as well as their expanded permanent collection. See the Montreal Buzz Fall Arts Guide for more ideas.

(comedy & cabaret) On the stranger side of entertainment – and Montreal’s got a lot of that – comedy show Let’s Do This!, a night of comedy and drinking games, headlined by DeAnne Smith, on October 11 at Mainline Theatre, 9 p.m. On Saturday, October 6, Quality Theatre hosts not only a sing-along to The Rocky Horror Picture Show, but a full-on band, comedians and a bevy of sexy burlesque performers, also at Mainline Theatre, 8 p.m.

(jazz off) The Montreal International Jazz Festival may get most of the summer jazz hype in this town, but all that jazz and more goes on throughout the year: check out The OFF Jazz Festival, October 4-12, with shows (some of them free!) at several venues around town, featuring traditional and experimental jazz from local and out-of-town musicians and bands, including pianist Baptiste Trotignon, saxophonist Anna Webber, Ironico Orkestra, Jean Derome and many, many more.

(more music) A busy Friday night begins the music week with Swedish folk-pop musician Jens Lekman at Le National, while DJ Shadow plays what’s sure to be a sweet DJ set at SAT, arts and activism group Howl presents eclectic Montreal rock-tinged ensembles Léopard et Moi and Avec le Soleil Sortant de sa Bouche, at Sala Rossa, and How to Dress Well gets Club Lambi electro-hopping. Also on Friday, Montreal Symphony Orchestra conductor Kent Nagano teams up with DJ Champion, while on Sunday he conducts the orchestra through The Rites of Spring. More big tours make Montreal stops at rock venue Metropolis this week: on Saturday, October 6, see Irish indie-rockers Two Door Cinema Club, on October 7 it’s electronic party makers Crystal Castles with openers Health and more, followed on October 9 by ever-popular singer-songwriter Regina Spektor and captivating British singer Joss Stone on October 10, while French trip-hop DJ Wax Tailor (http://waxtailor.com/) spins cinematic electronic grooves at L’Astral that night.

The post THINGS TO DO IN MONTREAL: OCTOBER 5-11 appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

Culture Vultures: Right in the action of the buzzing Quartier des Spectacles, kids of all ages can create art inspired by the contemporary collection at the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, while the ‘rents visit the exhibitions. Themes for fall 2012 include Voracious Colours, inspired by an expressive painting by Lise Gervais, and Rectangularity, whereby kids will get inspired by local artist Pierre Dorion’s solo show. From September 28 through 30, the Journées de la Culture take over town: three days of constant culture, whether it’s hip-hop dance classes, calligraphy workshops, face painting parties, free exhibitions of all sorts – you name it.

Musical families will be transported away in the Salle Bourgie at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, where, starting on Sunday, September 23, there’s a series of five hour-long concerts designed for inter-generational entertainment. Between 1 and 4 pm, the concerts will be followed by either an art workshop for kids, a guided tour for the whole family or a type of treasure hunt, designed to give young’ns a different perspective on the museum’s wide-ranging collection.

Mary Poppins – the musical – will be presented for the first time in Montreal from November 21 to 25, so your tots can finally see the fun in cleaning their room! The show, which took top honors on Broadway, will be presented at the Place des Arts’ Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier for eight performances only. Reserve now!

Starting on December 7, head to the Centaur Theatre for a different take on a familiar tale: Geordie Productions presents the world premier of a large-scale staging of Paula Wing’s new adaptation of Robin Hood. It promises a rollicking good time and just enough bad lessons to keep your kids healthy.

The Botanical Gardens has seen the light – this fall there are over a thousand lanterns in the shapes of princesses, peach trees, pandas and tigers in the picturesque Chinese Garden, for the 20th annual Magic of Lanterns celebration. Plus, for the first time the Japanese Garden is aglow too – in the mysterious evening atmosphere, the interplay of light and shadows in its tall tree forest creates an eerie musical happening. Check it out at dusk for best results!

History Buffs: You want history? Montreal’s got it! On September 22, from 10 am to noon, the inaugural edition of Heritage Montreal’s family workshops presents Little Burgundy: On the traces of the village of Sainte-Cunégonde, an outdoor exploration of the vanished industrial town of Sainte-Cunégonde. Guides and animators will help young explorers – workbooks and pencils in hand – and their parents follow clues to find the traces of the village that still exist today.

Meanwhile, starting in September at the McCord Museum downtown, history is in its Sunday best… so strike a pose! Inspired by the museum’s Notman photographic archives, this Sunday workshop (free to kids aged 3 to 10) invites families to blend old and new techniques to create their own photomontage.
From 11 am to 4 pm.

Pointe-à-Callière (Montreal’s Museum of Archaeology and History), located right on the spot some of the first Europeans landed in the area, is inaugurating a new pavilion this fall: the Mariner’s House. Connected to the main building by an underground tunnel, this new multi-purpose, educational space is home to the “Archaeo-Space” – a simulated archaeological dig for kids. In October and December, young and old are invited to enjoy two very special tours of the archaeological remains. Highlighting two of the year’s most highly anticipated celebrations, the museum is presenting Jack O’Lantern and Who Is The Real Santa Claus? On these two whimsical tours, children will meet colourful characters who will explain the origins of Halloween and Christmas. Which brings us to…

Thrill Seekers: Halloween is second only to Christmas on most kids’ excitement-o-meter, and in Montreal we love to celebrate our ghoulish side. Starting at the Botanical Garden, where pumpkins, a witch and her black cat are all waiting to haunt you and yours. This is the 25^th anniversary of the Great Pumpkin Ball, featuring the wackiest pumpkin designs imaginable! Visit the exhibition between October 6 and 31, and remember to enter your own masterpiece in the pumpkin-decorating contest by October 14.

During the Halloween FrightFest at La Ronde, Montreal’s amusement park becomes home to zombies, vampires and giants rats. Dare to enter the Haunted House, also known as Dr Von Terror’s clinic, or hold your breath on over 40 rides and attractions – there’s something for kids of every age, plus plenty of thrills for mom and pop. From October 6 to 18.

From now to November 4 at the historic house right next to the Olympic Stadium, Château Ramezay, there’s an exhibition in the Governor’s Garden where gourds get some glory! While the pumpkin rules Halloween, there are a slew of other squashes out there that deserve their fair share of love. From your plate to beauty products to musical instruments, squashes have been used in a million different ways for millennia – they were even cultivated 5,000 years ago by Native peoples right in this spot. Now that’s a tasty morsel of history.

What would fright night be without the ritual of the Rocky Horror Picture Show? Get your dry toast, toilet paper and rice ready and give your older kids a fun time to remember on October 26, 27 or 31 at the Imperial, a beautifully restored historic cinema right next door to the Quartier des Spectacles.

Movers and Shakers: The TOHU is known as a place where things move and shake – it’s home to tons of circus performances, dance and theatre. On October 7, starting at 8 am, it’ll be the site for a race! Adults can run either 5,5, or 11 kilometres around the St-Michel Environmental Complex, during which your tots aged 2 to 12 will burn through some of their excess energy too on a more reasonable 1 km track. Discover a cool part of town in a new way.

Right nearby you’ll find the Le Taz, a skateboarder and rollerskater’s paradise. Opening at 10 am on weekend and 3 pm weekdays, this indoor centre presents a skatepark on one side – a gigantic obstacle course of bumps and half-pipes for skaters and BMXers – and a roller derby track on the other, where Montreal’s teams practice and where skaters of all talents levels and ages can skate to music on weekends from 1 to 6 pm. Both skates and boards can be rented on the spot, and lessons are available.

The climbing center Allez-up just reopened in a brand new location on September 6! Check out the new digs right by the famous Redpath silos in Old Montreal, where big and small can climb the walls, literally, all the way up to the mile-high ceiling and over all sort of weirdly shaped installations. Courses available.

Kids bouncing off the hotel room walls? That’s why La Récréathèque was invented! This activity centre in Laval offers an arcade, bumper cars, laser tag, and activities of all kinds, including a huge playground for kids 6 months to 10 years old called the Bananazoo that has a new giant maze, a mini-train ride and a special area exclusively for children under 4.

Critter Lovers: Montreal’s Biodôme holds countless treasures, but these days the cargo’s even more precious. Last spring saw the birth of the Biodôme’s first baby lynx! Bring the whole family to watch it play hide and seek, learn to climb trees and leap from rock to rock like any other kitten. It’s also a great chance to explore the Laurentian Maple Forest ecosystem yourself, without even leaving the city.

The Insectarium, right next door, also offers some natural wonder, though acrobatic spiders may not rank quite as high on the cuteness front. Remains that your tots – especially of the boy variety – will be amazed by the spiders; they’re true tightrope walkers and aces at lassoing, sprinting, weaving and tagging. Wait, maybe this should have gone into the Halloween section…

The Ecomuseum Zoo houses over 155 species native to Quebec’s St. Lawrence Valley under one roof, just a hop, skip and a jump out of downtown, on the western tip of the island. Operated by the St. Lawrence Valley Natural History Society, a not-for-profit organization that focuses on education, research and applied conservation, the zoo offers all-day classes on animal care for kids aged 7 to 12 on September 23 and October 21. Who wouldn’t want close contact with arctic foxes, black bears and spotted turtles? There are tons of other activities to check out too right here.

The post MONTREAL FAMILY FALL 2012 GUIDE appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

This year’s theme is “The First Emperor’s Procession” and over 900 lanterns have been used to pay tribute to China’s first Emperor, Qin Shi Huangdi. From guard towers to chariots, bells to drums, you can follow the royal path to the capital of Xianyang. The lanterns are designed in Montreal, handcrafted in Shanghai, delicately shipped to Montreal and painstakingly arranged in the Botanical Gardens to create a truly unique experience. The Garden stays open every day until 9pm (early evening is an ideal time to visit), but there are a couple events worth circling on your calendar…

The Lanterns in Music: Tuesdays (drum and gong) and Saturdays (guzheng), September 9 to October 31, 5:15, 6, 6:45, 7:15 and 8 p.m.

Beijing Opera under the Lanterns: Excerpts from the Beijing Opera (song and dance), September 22 and 28, 6, 6:30, 7:15 and 8 p.m.

Guided Tours of the Lanterns: Learn all about the Garden and China’s First Emperor, September 9 to October 31, Daily at 2 and 6 p.m. (30 min)

Photography Workshops and Tips (Photo Lozeau): October 14-16, 6 to 9 p.m.

Light up our Lanterns: Transform yourself into a source of renewable energy and light up our lanterns, September 9 to October 31

THE DETAILS

The Magic of Lanterns, September 9 to October 31, 2011

Montreal Botanical Garden, 4101 Sherbrooke East, (514) 872-1400

The post MAGICAL LANTERNS ILLUMINATE MONTREAL appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

The Insectarium is home to thousands upon thousands of living and naturalized insects of every sort. From the mounted displays of some of the world’s most fascinating bugs, to bee hives, ant colonies and breeding labs, the Insectarium contains all you’d ever possibly need to know about “nature’s champions”. Of special note is their new exhitbit We Are the Insects, which presents a comprehensive look at vital these creepy crawlies are to our own survival.

But look, if you don’t like bugs, you don’t like bugs. Thankfully for you, the Insectarium is part of a group of family-friendly places like the Biodome and the Botanical Gardens that are sure to have something that everyone in the family can agree is awesome and not totally gross…

A

THE DETAILS

Montreal Insectarium, 4581 Sherbrooke East, (514) 872-1400

The post EXPLORING MONTREAL’S INSECTARIUM appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

(adventures in edutainment) Perhaps the biggest coup of the modern science museum was cornering the market on hands-on exhibitions – I mean, is there anything at the Montreal Science Centre that you’re not allowed to touch? Well, maybe the light switches. Among the many permanent science and tech fun and games at the centre right now is the Indiana Jones exhibition, a fact-meets-fiction adventure in archaeology. And rest your tired feet at the IMAX cinema, currently showing the intense Rescue 3D, an insiders’ view of rescue operations in humanitarian crisis situations, and, perhaps more suited to younger viewers, Born to Be Wild, a film that follows endangered animals in their natural habitat and what is being done to keep these species alive and well.

(natural wonders) Taking the kids to the park to burn off some of that endless kid-energy is a no-brainer, whether you’re on vacation or not – many of Montreal’s parks offer more than the standard swings and teeter-totters, however. Take the metro to Pie IX station for one-stop-family-fun at the Montreal Biodome, Botanical Gardens and Insectarium – tour various ecosystems, learn about biodiversity with hands-on exhibitions and contribute to a more environmentally sustainable future. Or take the metro over to Jean Drapeau Park and spend the day at the Biosphere, a fascinating eco-museum housed in a massive geodesic dome designed by Buckminster Fuller.

(fun fair) Nothing says pre-teen summer fun and freedom like being allowed to call two hot dogs and a head-sized ball of cotton candy a “meal” and then getting to ride the rollercoaster four times in a row. Because, hey, maybe the most important part of being a kid is learning from your mistakes. Amusement park La Ronde is like a safe zone for minor mistake-making and major fun. Of course, height requirements might mean you’ll have to opt for La Ronde’s more adorable rides like the Joyeux Moussaillons and Marais Enchanté, instead of scaring yourself and the kids silly on thrill rides like Goliath, Monstre, Super Manège and Ednor-L’attaque. All of which are AWESOME.

(water wings) It may be the end of the summer, but the weather’s still warm and sunny – perfect for family afternoons at the pool. The swimming pools and diving platforms at Jean Drapeau Park are perfect for swimmers of all ages and abilities. In town, north of the Plateau neighbourhood, the large pool at Jarry Park (the original home to Montreal Expos baseball) is free and open until August 26, and the smaller outdoor pool at picturesque Sir-Wildfred-Laurier Park (at Laurier and de Brebeuf) is open until August 28.

(hidden places and spaces) Pointe-à-Callière, Montreal’s museum of archaeology and history, is the kind of place that can make a person, even a kid, forget that museums were ever boring. During all of August, also known as Archaeology Month, the museum gives Family Exploration Tours for kids aged 7-12: learn about Montreal’s origins with a storytelling rat leading the way through the collection and underground caverns. In the last weekend of August, travel through time at Pointe-à-Callière’s 18th-Century Public Market, with farmers, craftspeople and entertainers evoking the spirit of 1750, plus tours for kids interested in the real-life work of archaeologists.

(feed the children) It’s not necessarily a truism that all kids love junk food – I’ve seen kids choose carrots and kale over french fries – but when on vacation, junk food often seems like the cheap and easy solution to the family-friendly meal problem. Thankfully, Quebec culture caters to the sweet-toothed and carb-craving – no need to hit up the big-brand fast-food joints here. Of course Montreal certainly has many a gourmet bistro and hip-and-healthy restaurant, but there’s no denying that this town is also a mecca for Quebecois no-nonsense versions of hot dogs (steamies at La Fleur, fries and poutine of all kinds at La Banquise), burgers and veggie burgers (there are many good ones, and I’m not opening that particular debate up here, but check out La Paryse as an option), and ice cream (with new joints popping around every corner it seems.)

The post END OF SUMMER FAMILY FUN IN MONTREAL appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.

Montreal Museums Day can be a daunting one. It can be difficult to narrow down exactly the best way to take advantage of all this free stuff, so below you’ll find a briefing of what’s happening and on an almost more important note, where to get the ice cream:

Pointe a Calliere

Pointe-à-Callière, Montreal’s Museum of Archeology and History, is one of the city’s finest museums. They will be displaying their permanent exhibition Where Montréal Was Born, its new multimedia show Yours Truly, Montréal, and Montréal Love Stories – The Cultural Connection. If that’s not enough, the temporary exhibit, To Your Health, Caesar! Wine and the Gaul’s looks great. It’s a history of wine and how this magical elixir influenced the great civilizations of yore. It’s worth it even to see if there’s an analysis of Montreal’s corner store wine phenomenon. You can also take in A Cultural Feast and learn about the talents and traditions of all the cultures that make Montreal so unique.

Montreal Holocaust Memorial Center

Montreal is also notorious for its vibrant Jewish community; the city of Montreal accepted the third largest number of Holocaust survivors in the world. These are the people that established the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Center in 1976 with the mandate to sensitize, preserve and remember. The center is a place to learn the history and meet and listen to a Holocaust survivor.

Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art

This year, the Museum of Contemporary Art is host to the most “extensive display it has ever mounted.” Go and check out Deja, an exhibit of the major works from their collection that strive to detail the multi-disciplinary nature of modern art. It was curated to highlight the overlapping of disciplines in pieces by artists from Quebec, Canada and the world. Expect to see art by David Altmejd, Nicolas Baier, Louise Bourgeois, Mona Hatoum, Ann Hamilton, and Claude Tousignant among many others.

At 1pm, there’s the Bits of Worlds workshop that is open to all. It’s a family oriented event inspired by the work of Serge Murphy and his piece Affections. By using recycled material and mixed media you are invited to contribute to a mural that will be part of the MACM’s collection. Probably the most artful human invention, ice cream, will also be on sale from the most well loved ice cream spot in Montreal, Bilboquet.

Finally, Arrimage 2011- Geometric Variations showcases the work of hundreds of students from seventeen Montreal elementary schools. The art is inspired by the students’ visits to the Montreal Science Center and the Contemporary Art Museum. Their pieces are an exploration of how art and science relate to each other through pictorial, modular and geometric volumes.

Biodome

The Biodome is not a museum about the ill-fated movie of the same name starring Stephen Baldwin and Pauly Shore. But it is a biodome and it is amazing. Always a favourite among the young and old alike, Montreal’s Biodome is also offering free admission to their wonderful biospheres. This is a rare opportunity, so take advantage! Learn about all kinds of creatures in just one hour by strolling through the museums eco-systems of the America’s (Tropical Rainforest, Laurentian Maple Forest, Gulf of St. Lawrence, Labrador Coast, Sub Antarctic Islands). Check out the current exhibit, Humans at the Heart of Climate Change in the amphitheatre lobby where guests are invited to learn about the reality of climate change and energy efficiency.

a

Guest blogger: Sophie Naima Caird

Details

Pointe-à-Callière Musuem

350 Pl Royale

514 872-9150

Montreal Holocaust Memorial Center

5151, Chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine

(Cummings House)

514-345-2605

Museum of Contemporary Art

185 Sainte-Catherine Ouest

Montreal, QC H2X 3X5

(514) 847-6226

Biodome

4777, avenue Pierre-De Coubertin

514 868-3000

photo credits: Mario Melillo, US Mission Canada

The post MONTREAL MUSEUMS DAY: MAY 29, 2011 appeared first on Tourisme Montréal Blog.