Musée de la Civilisation
85, rue Dalhousie
P.O. Box 155, Station B
Québec City, Québec G1K 7A6
(418) 643-2158
1 866 710-8031 Toll free number (Canada and USA)
Appropriately located next to the Palais Royal, the birthplace of French in North America, Quebec City's Museum of Civilization is known as the people's museum. Just 20 years old, the Museum of Civilization has a contemporay focus.
The museum is set in an 18th century home complete with a rowboat of the same vintage. A stone wharf and a sculpture celebrating the yearly ice break up complete the picture.
The Museum of Civilization houses three permanent exhibitions.
Starting June 23, the museum will open a new permanent exhibition, “People of Québec...Then and Now.” Visitors can talk to costumed figures from history, and view original films from the archives.
Over 500 objects ranging from coins, furniture, costumes, flags to toys, musical instruments and art works will be on display.
Seven temporary exhibitions will be held simultaneously in a 6,000 square meter space in addition to the three permanent shows.
The Urbanopolis exhibition, the first official event of Québec City’s 400th anniversary, explores themes of universal movement and nature in cities.
Urbanology’s interactive audiovisuals feature a multimedia tramway and an interactive bus shelter and employs large-scale images of urban public spaces. A futuristic air cushion vehicle, an electric monocycle plus models of New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Québec City 100 years from now complete the display.
For the kids, there is a special section showing how children from Quebec lived in the past. This display is presented in comic strips. Pendule the cat entertains young visitors as they play games enjoyed by children 400 years ago.