Directions 
Institutional Profile
How the Musée came to be
The Musée de la civilisation is a Crown corporation that was created on December 19, 1984, under the National Museums Act. The latter establishes the Musée’s main roles as follows:
- to make known the history and the various cultural elements of our civilization, particularly the social and material aspects of the cultures of the occupants of the territory of Québec and the cultures that have contributed to the enrichment of those cultures;
- to ensure the preservation and development of the ethnographic collection and other representative collections of our civilization;
- to ensure the participation of Québec in the international network of museological events through acquisitions, exhibitions and other cultural activities.
The Musée opened its doors to the public on October 19, 1988, with Premier Robert Bourassa and Lise Bacon, then Minister of Cultural Affairs, in attendance. Over the years, the Government of Québec has entrusted our national museum with additional responsibilities:
- in 1995, the conservation and development of the collections of the Séminaire de Québec;
- in 2005, the inauguration of the Centre national de conservation et d’études des collections to house all of its collections;
- in 2021, the implementation of the vast network of Espaces bleus and the development of content specific to each region;
- in 2021, the creation of a $2.2M fund dedicated to the development and activities of the Place-Royale.
Today, the Musée de la civilisation’s expertise is strengthened, recognized and appreciated throughout the Canadian and international circuit of major museums. The creativity, expertise and efficiency of its craftspeople is the Musée’s trademark.
From its first exhibitions to the development of the Espaces bleus network and the creation of optimal conservation conditions at the Centre national de conservation et d’études des collections, the Musée de la civilisation’s multidisciplinary teams continue to work toward revitalizing and improving museology.
Since its creation, the Musée has been run by five different executive directors:
- Stéphan La Roche (since October 2015)
- Michel Côté (2010-2015)
- Danielle Poiré (intérim de janvier à juillet 2010)
- Claire Simard (2001-2009)
- Roland Arpin (1987-2001)
- Guy Doré (1984-1987)
A word from the CEO
The Musée de la civilisation is now 35 years old. Since its inauguration, the Musée has been a place of sharing, discovery, learning, wonder and enjoyment for visitors of all generations and backgrounds. Everyone is welcome here, and everyone can leave feeling they have gained new understanding.
From ancient civilizations to the digital revolution, and from Québec history to science, the environment and the arts, we present a range of perspectives on the phenomena and realities that shape our civilization. And the human experience is always at the heart of what we do.
In every project, the Musée de la civilisation aims to include that special touch, that “little extra,” to shake up the usual practices of museology. At the Musée, we go boldly. We surprise. We reach out and invite others to participate, reflect and ask questions. From one theme to the next, entire universes unfold, witnessing the uncountable facets of human existence and our societies across the ages and continents. This is the challenge we set ourselves, every time. And because we’ve been successfully rising to this challenge for so many years, the young people who once visited the Musée are now coming back as adults with their own children.
For 35 years, our institution has been a welcoming, accessible, warm and stimulating place. This is thanks to the quality of our team of dedicated, passionate individuals who bring the Musée to life, day after day, with their creativity and talent. I extend my greatest appreciation to them all and I invite you to come and join us, to meet Québec, to meet our world, in this Musée de la civilisation that is both ours and yours.
Stéphan La Roche
CEO
To come
Our mission
The Musée de la civilisation is a Crown corporation that was created under the National Museums Act, which sets out the institution’s functions:
- To make known the history and the various cultural elements of our civilization, particularly the social and material aspects of the cultures of the occupants of the territory of Québec and the cultures that have contributed to the enrichment of those cultures.
- To ensure the preservation and development of the ethnographic collection and other representative collections of our civilization.
- To ensure Québec’s presence in the international network of museological events through acquisitions, exhibitions and other cultural activities.
Our vision
The Musée acts as a vector of change through its cultural offerings, initiatives and partnerships, as well as through the reflections and emotions these arouse. The Musée therefore helps its staff and visitors work for a more harmonious cohabitation of peoples and cultures.
Our services
The Musée de la civilisation produces and presents exhibitions and cultural and educational activities, including guided tours. Its visitors can enjoy a boutique and a restaurant. Spaces may be rented for private or corporate events.
Our commitments
To meet the needs expressed by museum visitors and partners, the Musée de la civilisation has made commitments that fall into the following four categories:
- Reception and visitor experience
- Access to our services
- Processing collection requests
- Processing comments and complaints
Reception and visitor experience
Visitors are welcomed and served with courtesy, diligence, respect and fairness.
Information is communicated clearly, concisely, reliably and understandably.
Personal information is handled with the utmost confidentiality.
The premises are designed to be clean, comfortable, welcoming and safe.
Access to our services
Administrative and public spaces are accessible to people with disabilities, impairments or limitations in line with the institution’s Accessibility Policy, available on its website at mcq.org/en/about-us/universal-accessibility/.
The Musée is committed to adapting its documents and services to the characteristics and needs of people with a disability, impairment or limitation in accordance with government policy (L’accès aux documents et aux services offerts au public pour les personnes handicapées).
Customer assistance and information is available in French and English seven days a week, from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., by calling 418-643-2158 or 1-866-710-8031 (toll-free) or emailing [email protected].
The Musée de la civilisation offers free admission to certain organizations under its Universal Accessibility Policy, available on its website at https://mcq.org/en/about-us/universal-accessibility/. A request form for free accreditation is available on the same page, which can be completed and submitted online. Requests are processed and accreditations issued within five working days.
Full information, in both French and English, covering opening hours, rates, programming and access to the Musée as well as a list of nearby parking lots is available on the institution’s website at https://mcq.org/en/visit/plan-your-visit/.
Opening hours
The Musée de la civilisation is open to visitors from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday to Sunday. Between Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day and Labour Day, the Musée is open every day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
It is open on Mondays during the Easter, Labour Day, Thanksgiving, Patriots’ Day holidays as well as during the March break week in the Québec City region.
For the winter holiday season, it is open every day between Christmas and New Year’s Day. The Musée is closed on December 25 and January 1.
Programming activities and private events at the Chapelle du Séminaire are temporarily suspended due to construction, as are summer tours of the Séminaire de Québec historic site and activities at the Centre de la francophonie des Amériques.
Tickets and membership
Tickets can be purchased anytime on the institution’s website at boutique.mcq.org.
A membership service is also available:
- Online at boutique.mcq.org/memberships
- By calling 418-643-2158, option 3
- On site in the Musée lobby (85 Dalhousie Street, Québec City, QC G1K 8R2), during public admission days and hours
- By mail at the Secrétariat des Abonnés, 85 Dalhousie Street, Québec City, QC G1K 8R2
- By emailing [email protected]
Group reservations
A reservation service is available to visiting groups who wish to reserve a guided tour, workshop tour or special activity and/or a self-guided tour. Reservations can be made from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday:
- By calling 418-692-1151
- By emailing [email protected]
- Online on the Musée’s website at org/groups/adult-groups/
The boutique
The Musée de la civilisation’s boutique is open to the public from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on days when the Musée is open. Information and ordering are available from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday:
- By calling 418-643-9859 or 1-866-710-8031 (toll-free)
- By emailing [email protected].
Orders are processed within five working days.
Restaurant
Espace saveurs by Nollen is open on days when the Musée is open to the public, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Information and catering services are available from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday:
- By calling 418-441-8558
- By emailing [email protected]
Space rentals for events
Information and reservations are available for private or corporate events and can be made from 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday:
- By calling 418-643-2158 or 1-866-710-8031 (toll-free)
- By emailing [email protected]
- Online at mcq.org/en/visit/event-space-rental/
Programmed activities and private events at the Chapelle du Séminaire are temporarily suspended due to construction.
Requests related to the collections
Customer service is available:
- By calling 418-643-2158 or 1-866-710-8031 (toll-free)
- By emailing [email protected]
The consultation room is open to researchers by appointment on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, from 8.30 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. A team of professionals is also available for assistance. To make an appointment, fill out the form available on the Musée’s website at mcq.org/en/collections/consultation-request/. Only appointment requests submitted via this form will be considered. The consultation room is closed during the summer period, from late June to early October.
The consultation room is located on the fifth floor of the Pavillon Jérôme-Demers, at the Séminaire de Québec (9 De la Vieille Université Street, Québec City).
The Musée’s collections are available online at collections.mcq.org, on the mcq.org website, in the Collections section. Here, you can explore the collections and thematic albums. You can also create personalized online albums. Finally, you can download images free of charge or purchase images and reproduction rights, depending on your needs. The portal is accessible at any time.
A request for images and reproduction rights can be made online at boutique.mcq.org/en_US/images. All requests for images and reproduction rights are processed as quickly as possible. However, it may take up to 30 days to process your request.
Offers of donations, sales and bequests can be made online at mcq.org/en/collections/donate-an-object/. Each offer we receive will go through an initial review within one month of receipt. If your offer passes this review, it will be submitted for recommendation at a meeting of the collection development committee. The length of the process varies according to the offer and may take more than one year.
Please note that the Musée de la civilisation is not mandated to provide a monetary appraisal of the pieces.
Access to information
As a public organization, the Musée de la civilisation is subject to the Act Respecting Access to Documents Held by Public Bodies and the Protection of Personal Information.
In keeping with government’ efforts toward greater transparency, the Regulation Respecting the Distribution of Information and the Protection of Personal Information requires public bodies to share certain information and documents accessible under the Act. This information is available at mcq.org/a-propos/acces-information/.
Copyright management
Via its commitment to respecting copyright, the Musée recognizes and supports the work of authors and creators from Québec, Canada and abroad. It aims to develop and maintain responsible copyright practices in line with Québec, Canadian and international legal requirements as well as the rules in operation in national museums.
The Musée favours a fair, realistic and progressive approach to copyright. It maintains transparent, professional relationships with rights holders, property owners and external solicitors to foster fair agreements between parties.
The Musée promotes the accessibility and dissemination of its collections and cultural products through traditional media and digital platforms. Any questions about copyright management at the Musée can be sent to [email protected].
Processing comments and complaints
Any comments or reports of non-compliance with any of the above commitments can be shared with us:
- By emailing [email protected]
- On site at the Musée de la civilisation (85 Dalhousie Street, Québec City, QC G1K 8R2) during the Musée’s opening hours
- By calling 418-643-2158 or 1-866-710-8031 (toll-free)
The Musée de la civilisation aims to respond promptly, either verbally or in writing, in clear and precise language. It also aims to pass on any comments to the relevant people in the interests of continuous improvement. Processing comments comes under the responsibility of the Director of Hospitality and Visitor Experience.
The Musée deals with each complaint carefully, confidentially and impartially, within 20 working days. If additional time is needed, the individuals concerned are informed of the reasons for the delay.
The Musée pays particular attention to visitors’ comments and welcomes any suggestions that might improve the quality or efficiency of the services it offers. The Musée is committed to providing quality service. It is therefore essential to provide clear, factual and complete information when sending requests or comments to the institution.
Follow-up on our commitments
The Musée regularly reviews its commitments and reports publicly on the results achieved in its Annual Management Report, published online at mcq.org/en/about-us/institutional-profile/.
Contact us:
Musée de la civilisation
16 De la Barricade Street
Québec City, QC G1K 8W9
Canada
Phone: 418-643-2158 or 1-866-710-8031 (toll-free)
Email: [email protected]
Available in french only