Fodor's Expert Review Musée de la Civilisation

Wedged between narrow streets at the foot of the cliff, this spacious museum with a striking limestone-and-glass façade was designed by architect Moshe Safdie to blend into the landscape. Its bell tower echoes the shape of the city's church steeples. Two excellent permanent exhibits examine Québec's history. People of Québec, Now and Then engagingly synthesizes 400 years of social and political history—including the role of the Catholic church and the rise of the Québec nationalist movement—with artifacts, time lines, original films and interviews, and news clips. It's a great introduction to the issues that face the province today. This Is Our Story looks at the 11 aboriginal nations that inhabit Québec. The temporary exhibits here are also always worth a visit.