The white marble Beaux-Arts facade of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts on Sherbrooke Street, with four Ionic columns, arched wooden doors and three flags against a clear blue sky

Museum / Downtown (Golden Square Mile)

Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal (MMFA)

OPEN ON THANKSGIVING MONDAY

The city's big art museum is one of the few that is open on holiday Monday, with a major Chiharu Shiota show on.

From home: 28 min walk; 2.01 km, or 6 min by car
Spend: $$$$; est. $0-32 per person
Our dates: Open Tue-Thu. Mon unconfirmed; Give it 2-3 hours with the major exhibition

The verdict

Go, and make it the Monday plan. Most museums here shut on Mondays, but the MMFA is open 10am to 5pm on Oct 12, and the Shiota show (red-thread installations, first North American stop) is the reason to pay for the bigger ticket. Book it ahead, since the exhibition needs a reservation. Give it two to three hours and skip it if gallery-hopping is not your thing.

Confirmed open Mon Oct 12, 10am-5pm
Chiharu Shiota: The Soul Trembles, on view Sept 26, 2026 to Feb 14, 2027
Indoor plan for bad weather

Vibe check

elegant/design forward/chill

Best fora cold or rainy afternoon, art lovers, Thanksgiving Monday

What it costs

$$$$Est. $0-32 / person

Adult 26+: $32 museum plus Chiharu Shiota major exhibition; $30 collection-only online rate; ages 25 and under free; Wed 5-9pm $16 for the Shiota exhibition only. Prices as listed, before taxes if any.

Our estimate from posted prices, CAD, before tax and tip. Québec purchases carry the 5% federal GST plus the 9.975% Québec Sales Tax (QST, TVQ in French): 14.975% combined on taxable items. Tourisme Montréal: it is customary to tip restaurant servers, taxi drivers and hairdressers 15% of the bill, before taxes. Bellhops, porters and doormen generally get at least $2 per bag or service; coffee and food counters often have a tip cup by the register.

On our dates

Tue, Thu-Sun 10am-5pm; Wed 10am-9pm; Mon closed (except holidays)

Mon 12Unclear
Tue 13Open10am to 5pm
Wed 14Open10am to 9pm
Thu 15Open10am to 5pm

Thanksgiving MondayHomepage states that on Monday, October 12 the Museum is open 10am-5pm for Thanksgiving Day; the holidays table also lists Thanksgiving Day as Open.

Full week

Mon	Closed
Tue	10am to 5pm
Wed	10am to 9pm
Thu	10am to 5pm
Fri	10am to 5pm
Sat	10am to 5pm
Sun	10am to 5pm

Wed 5-9pm only the Chiharu Shiota exhibition is open; permanent collection galleries close at 5pm. Regular Monday is closed, but Oct 12 is a stated exception.

Hours from the venue's own listing, checked Oct 8, 2026.

Is it worth it?

Yes, especially for the Shiota exhibition and because it is open on a holiday Monday when much else is not.

Best time: Opening at 10am on Oct 12; Wednesday evening for the exhibition only
Time needed: 2-3 hours
Cost: $32 adult (26+) for museum plus Shiota exhibition; $30 collection only online; free for ages 25 and under; Wed 5-9pm $16 exhibition only
Weather: Fully indoors, ideal for rain or cold.
This season: Chiharu Shiota: The Soul Trembles runs Sept 26, 2026 to Feb 14, 2027.

Good forart, rainy day, couples

Where

1380 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest, Montréal, QC H3G 1J5

28 min walk (2.01 km) / 6 min drive, no traffic / 15 min by bike

From 216 Rue Young. Routes from OpenStreetMap data; transit times are in the maps app.

Show on our map mbam.qc.ca Call

Online booking guarantees admission and skips the counter line. Reservation required for the Chiharu Shiota exhibition.

While you're there

A martini with a lemon twist on a marble bar top, with softly blurred bottles and warm amber lighting behind

NO MENU, NO PROBLEM

Cloakroom Bar

Golden Square Mile (Downtown)26 min walk$$$$

3 min walk from here

Black-and-white photo of the giant Leonard Cohen portrait mural on a Montréal high-rise, hand on chest, beneath an overcast sky

COHEN, 22 STORIES TALL

Leonard Cohen murals

Downtown / Plateau Mont-Royal24 min walk$$$$

5 min walk from here

A maple turning orange and gold between two dark red brick walls, with a tall apartment tower rising behind it, on an overcast autumn day in a city

MOUNTAIN TO RIVER, ON FOOT

From the Mountain to the River walk

Downtown to Old Montréal7 min drive or 31 min walk$$$$

11 min walk from here

A stemmed cocktail glass backlit by a candle on a dark table in a dim room

GRAND HOTEL BAR ENERGY

Bar Dominion

Downtown19 min walk$$$$

13 min walk from here

Two bowls of pasta on a white linen-covered table with a glass of red wine, a champagne bucket and a glass of rosé, bread and a straw hat beside them

UNDER THE GLASS ROOF

Céleste

Downtown (Golden Square Mile)16 min walk$$$$

13 min walk from here

DINNER BEFORE THE DINNERS

McCord Stewart Museum

Downtown27 min walk$$$$

12 min walk from here

A tall Art Deco painted mural panel of women, gazelles and a fountain in a garden, framed in dark green against orange walls, in the former Eaton's ninth-floor restaurant in Montréal

THE LINER IN THE SKY

Le 9e (Restaurant Île-de-France)

Downtown24 min walk$$$$

15 min walk from here

A martini glass with a lemon twist on a marble bar top, with softly blurred bottles and warm amber light behind

BEHIND THE BLACK CURTAIN

Gokudo

Downtown23 min walk$$$$

18 min walk from here

The receipt

Where every fact on this page comes from.

ResearchedResearched Oct 8, 2026. Second check pending. Confidence: high.

Details to confirm

Current exhibition descriptions beyond Shiota, Beyond the Pedestal and Allison Katz were not checked.
Whether Shiota timed slots are already sold out for Oct 12-15 (needs live booking check).
Official page lists Oct 12 hours but no separate Thanksgiving note on the Aube Café or Boutique.

OfficialMMFA official website: Plan your visit: hours, holidays, admissionaccessed 2026-10-08
OfficialMMFA official website: Book your ticketsaccessed 2026-10-08
OfficialMMFA official website: Homepage: Thanksgiving Monday Oct 12 notice, current exhibitionsaccessed 2026-10-08