Montreal Museums Day 2012

Montreal Museums Day, coming up this May 27, 2012, offers up its usual roster of attractions, proposing free admission to Montreal's museum network, free shuttle buses and free activities as it has every last Sunday of May since 1986, marking the May 18th celebration of International Museums Day, a 1977 UNESCO/International Council of Museums initiative revolving around the motto that "museums are an important means of cultural exchange, enrichment of cultures and development of mutual understanding, co-operation and peace among peoples."

In 2012, Montreal Museums Day is on Sunday, May 27, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Overall, Montreal Museums Day is a popular cultural event with residents and visitors, attracting roughly 100,000 people every year who want to explore the city's museum network free of charge over the course of a day.

Most Montreal museums participate in Museums Day, including:

• Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
• Pointe-à-Callière
• Redpath Museum
• Montreal Planetarium
• McCord Museum
• Canadian Centre for Architecture
• Centre d'Histoire de Montréal

Free Features & Special Events
From meeting with Holocaust survivors to food tastings to art workshops and science experiments, participating museums frequently offer special activities in addition to free access to temporary and permanent exhibits, all free of charge.

Free Shuttle Bus
Every year, around five or more museum routes are set up for the public's convenience. Free shuttle service is available for each route, with buses leaving the same central terminal location every 10 to 25 minutes, depending on the route. The public can also use the STM network with full prices in effect. For a route example, take a look at the Yellow Route from the 2008 Montreal Museums Day edition.

Plan Ahead: Pick Two Circuits Max
Chances are you won't be able to visit all participating museums so consider picking your top two favorite museum circuits ahead of time or create your own museum circuit.

Beat the Lineups
If you plan on taking advantage of the free bus shuttles and also want to avoid losing part of your day waiting in a long lineup, avoid the central departure location. Instead, plan the beginning of your day at the first stop of a given route (e.g., McCord Museum of the 2008 Montreal Museums Yellow Route) where it's generally less congested.

Visit the Montreal Museums Day website for a complete list of participating museums, museum routes and activities.