A global museum in the heart of downtown Montreal!

A unique forward-looking and thought-provoking museum. The McCord is a public research and teaching museum that preserves our collective past - over 1,440,000 objects, images and manuscripts, irreplaceable reflections of the social history and material culture of Montreal, Quebec and Canada - a true source of inspiration. The McCord reaches out to the world by exploring contemporary issues and engaging with communities at the local, national and international level to further the appreciation and understanding of our heritage.
Tangible traces of our history

Ethnological and archaeological objects: 15,800

Costume and Textiles: 18,845

Notman Photographic Archives: 1,300,000

Textual archives: 262 linear meters

Paintings, Prints and Drawings: 69,000

Decorative Arts: 38,900

Total: Over 1,440,000 objects and groupings accompanied by 4,000 documentary files
Recent acquisitions

The McCord Museum actively enriches its collections through donations of objects, photographs and documents, illustrating life in Montreal, Quebec and Canada. Click here to see a selection of our recent acquisitions.

History

Inaugurated in 1921, the McCord embodies the vision of a passionate collector, David Ross McCord, whose abiding wish was to shed light on the history and cultures of his country and thus bring its people together.

A Museum Born of a Montrealer's Dream

In 1878, David Ross McCord began adding to the already considerable collection assembled by his family since their arrival in Canada. Sparing neither time nor money, he combed the length and breadth of the country in search of the finest and most historically significant objects. Gradually, a plan began to take shape in his mind: that of founding a national history museum in Montreal, then Canada's metropolis.

On October 13, 1921, the McCord National Museum opened its doors, housed in a building provided by McGill University. Both its collection and its reputation grew rapidly.

A Museum Supported by Montrealers

The citizens of Montreal, heirs to the passion of David Ross McCord, encouraged the Museum's development. McGill University administered the McCord for over sixty years, until it became a private museum. Leading members of the community, including the families of Walter M. Stewart, T.H.P. Molson and J. W. McConnell, lent their steadfast and generous support to the Museum's various activities and, with additional government backing, made possible the recent renovation of its building. Today, the McCord is supported by the governments of Canada, Quebec and Montreal, and by a large network of members, donors and sponsors.

A Museum for all Montrealers

David Ross McCord wanted to make history accessible to all. His dream has become the McCord's mission - a mission whose importance is reaffirmed each year by thousands of visitors.