Holidays at the McCord Stewart Museum

Saturday, November 29, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Free – Reservation recommended

To celebrate the return of Ogilvy’s traditional mechanical Christmas windows, the Museum—in collaboration with Place Montréal Trust—invites families to a joyful pyjama day filled with activities! Storytime (in French and English – 2 p.m. reading in French will be interpreted in sign language) will take place in the Museum’s education spaces. In the atrium, the Àdìrẹ workshop will spark imagination and creativity. A face-painting station will complete the lineup of activities.

Café Notman will join the festivities with free hot chocolate for visitors under the age of 15.

On Saturdays November 29, December 9 and December 13, and every day from Saturday, December 20, 2025, to Sunday, January 4, 2026 – Free with admission

Taking inspiration from the designs featured in Africa Fashion, families are invited to experiment with creating, comparing and assembling visual elements to make their own fashion model.

Free activity*, in French and English. Space limited. Recommended for children aged 6 and up; parental presence required.

Ongoing, November 26, 2025, to October 18, 2026

In the form of a booklet, this self-guided trail invites families to explore On the Menu in a playful way, through surprising facts about Montreal restaurants, observation games in the galleries and hands-on creative activities.

Free activity*, in French and English. Recommended for children aged 5 to 11.

Ongoing, November 29, 2025, to January 4, 2026

Dive into the whimsical world of Ogilvy’s mechanical Christmas windows and see if you can spot all the adorable hidden characters! Free activity sheets are available at the Admissions Desk.

Free activity*, in French and English. Recommended for children aged 6 to 11.

Ongoing

This engaging activity invites families to explore the exhibition Indigenous Voices of Today: Knowledge, Trauma, Resilience using a free activity sheet that leads them on an adventure of discovery and encounter among Indigenous nations.

Free activity*, in French and English. Recommended for children aged 6 to 11.

Presented by Hydro-Québec.

*Holiday activities are free with purchase of admission to the exhibitions.
Access to the Museum is free for visitors aged 17 and under.

Presented exclusively in Canada by the McCord Stewart Museum and organized by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Africa Fashion celebrates the creativity of contemporary designers across the African continent and highlights how fashion has become a powerful vehicle for self-expression in the postcolonial era and a source of global influence. Until February 1, 2026

Aunties’ Work: The Power of Care, created by guest curator Nadia Bunyan, explores and pays tribute to the support systems created by the matriarchs of Montreal’s Black communities. Through their social and political engagement, these women built enduring bonds of solidarity that continue to strengthen their communities. Until April 12, 2026

On the Menu – Montreal: A Restaurant Story, presented by the OVI Fund – A Ionescu Foundation and supported by Lightspeed (Innovation Collaborator), the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (Institutional Partner), and Power Corporation of Canada (Premier Partner – Montreal Stories), traces the evolution of Montreal’s restaurant scene from the 1960s to today. From delis to fine dining, it reveals how the city’s identity has been shaped around the table. November 26, 2025, to October 18, 2026

The permanent exhibition Indigenous Voices of Today: Knowledge, Trauma, Resilience highlights the still unrecognized knowledge of Indigenous peoples in Quebec and Canada as well as the deep wounds they carry and their incredible resilience.

The Boutique is brimming with holiday gift ideas for every generation—jewellery, decorative objects, home accessories, books, Indigenous and local creations, and more. Nostalgic visitors can take home a Steiff teddy, made by the very company that created the beloved characters in The Enchanted Village and The Mill in the Forest.

Recent McCord Stewart Museum publications also make perfect gifts for culture lovers, including:

• Pounding the Pavement: Montreal Street Photography
• Costume Balls: Dressing Up History, 1870-1927
• Beyond Borders: Portraits and Fashion in the Lens of Quebec Photographers 
• James Duncan (1806-1881): Painter of Montreal 
• Alexander Henderson: Art and Nature
• Notman 

Access to the Boutique does not require a ticket to the Museum.

A Museum membership is the perfect cultural gift. Members enjoy unlimited admission for a full year starting at just $35. For $135, the Exclusive Access membership allows one guest to accompany the member at any time, includes free entry to more than 300 North American museums through the ROAM program, and offers exclusive tours, event invitations and discounts at the Boutique, Café Notman and cultural partner venues.

The McCord Stewart Museum is designed with families in mind, offering a lunch area, nursing room, self-serve cloakroom and changing tables. Families can also enjoy an affordable menu and a selection of drinks at Café Notman.

Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. | Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. | Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Special opening hours:

Online ticketing (+$2 at the door): Adults: $20 | Seniors: $19 | Students (18 to 30): $15 | Indigenous persons: free | 17 and under: free*

Mechanical Christmas windows: Free access to The Mill in the Forest, located outside in Museum Alley on Victoria Street. Access to The Enchanted Village in the Museum Theatre included with admission to the exhibitions or by voluntary contribution.

Wednesday evenings: free (3rd-floor exhibition: Aunties’ Work: The Power of Care  and permanent exhibition) or $10 online (+$2 at the door) (2nd-floor exhibitions: Africa Fashion and On the Menu – Montreal: A Restaurant Story).

First Sunday of the month: Pay what you can.

The McCord Stewart Museum would like to thank BMO Financial Group for the free Wednesday evenings, the Fondation J.A. DeSève for free admission for children aged 12 and under, the Rossy Foundation for free admission for young people aged 13 to 17, and the Azrieli Foundation for their generous contribution to the accessibility program on the first Sunday of every month.

*Free admission for ages 17 and under on presentation of ID. Offer valid for general public visits only. Groups of more than 15 people and organized groups must refer to the group rates.

*Free for children 12 and under. Maximum of three children per adult. Offer valid for general public visits only. Organized groups must refer to the group rates.

A landmark in the heart of Montreal for over 100 years, the McCord Stewart Museum bears witness to the history of Quebec’s metropolis as well as its influence in Canada and around the world, celebrating the vitality, creativity and diversity of the communities that make it up.

The Museum amplifies their voices by interpreting and disseminating the remarkable heritage under its custody: six expansive collections of 3.2 million images, objects, documents and works of art that make it one of North America’s leading museums.

In keeping with its commitment to decolonization and sustainable development, it creates stimulating exhibitions and educational, cultural and community-engagement activities that look at the social history and contemporary issues affecting its audiences through a critical and inclusive lens, inspiring them to take action for a fairer society.

Ogilvy’s mechanical Christmas windows