Musée de l'Amérique Francophone

Québec City

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Anchor tenant of the 17th-century Séminaire de Québec, this breathtakingly thorough museum is purported to be Canada’s oldest. Enter via the awesome Chapelle du Musée (Museum Chapel), built in 1898 by Joseph-Ferdinand Peachy, who earlier built the Église St-Jean-Baptiste. Access the main building pavilion by underground tunnel and its three floors of exhibits exploring the diaspora of French-speaking people in North America, the early years of New France, and the work of artists and artisans here since 1930.

There's also a wonderful and telling short film on new-world history from a Québécois perspective.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Low-angle view of Chateau Frontenac. 1458223256 architecture, attraction, building, canada, canadian, chateau, chateau frontenac, city, cityscape, famous, french, frontenac, historic, historical, history, hotel, landmark, patina, quebec canada, quebec city, tourism, travel

    Le Château Frontenac

    0.17 MILES

    Reputedly the world's most photographed hotel, this audaciously elegant structure was opened in 1893 by the Canadian Pacific Railway as part of its chain…

  • Battlefields Park

    Battlefields Park

    0.93 MILES

    One of Québec City’s must-sees, this verdant clifftop park contains the Plains of Abraham, site of the infamous 1759 battle between British General James…

  • September 7, 2018: Exterior of the Musee de la civilisation de Quebec (Museum of Civilization) near the Saint Lawrence River. 1136106998 america, american, architecture, art, basse, building, business, canada, chevalier, city, civilisation, civilization, construction, cultural, culture, decorate, decoration, french, heritage, historic, historical, history, house, industrial, industry, landmark, landscape, luxury, maison, metal, modern, musee, museum, old, quebec, saint, scene, site, steel, street, structure, tour, town, travel, unesco, urban, view, vintage, world

    Musée de la Civilisation

    0.2 MILES

    This world-class museum wows even before you’ve clapped your eyes on the exhibits. It is a fascinating mix of modern design that incorporates preexisting…

  • Terrasse Dufferin

    Terrasse Dufferin

    0.2 MILES

    Perched on a clifftop 60m above the St Lawrence River, this 425m-long boardwalk is a marvelous setting for a stroll, with spectacular, sweeping views. In…

  • Le Monastère des Augustines

    Le Monastère des Augustines

    0.25 MILES

    On no account should you miss this museum, which traces the history of the order of Augustinian nuns who founded Québec’s first hospital, the Hôtel-Dieu,…

  • Parc de la Chute-Montmorency

    Parc de la Chute-Montmorency

    5.75 MILES

    The main draw at this national park 15km northeast of Québec City is the 83m-high Montmorency Falls. Entrance to the park is free, but parking ($7.25 to …

  • Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area

    Cap Tourmente National Wildlife Area

    26.13 MILES

    This wildlife sanctuary is home to more than 180 bird species, including the flocks of snow geese that migrate to its wetlands in spring and autumn. It's…

  • Quebec City, Canada - 5 October 2019: Quebec flags on Notre-Dame street. 1179423899

    Le Quartier Petit-Champlain

    0.23 MILES

    Arguably the city's most picturesque district, this area sandwiched between the Old Upper Town and the waterfront has Québec City’s most intriguing…

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Nearby Québec City attractions

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Founded in 1663 by Francis-Xavier de Montmorency-Laval, New France's first bishop, and canonized in 2014 as St François de Laval, this Roman Catholic…

3. Cathedral of the Holy Trinity

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7. Chapelle des Ursulines

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This glittering chapel just across from the Musée des Ursulines contains some of the finest wood carving in Québec and was gilded by the nuns themselves…

8. Frontenac Kiosk

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An entrance to both the Fortifications of Québec and St-Louis Forts & Châteaux national historic sites.