Explore different sides of Montreal at the MEM – Centre des mémoires montréalaises

A museum and citizen space at the heart of Montreal’s Quartier des spectacles district, the MEM – Centre des mémoires montréalaises brings together a multiplicity of points of view and experiences from yesterday and today to tell the city’s story. Here are three exhibits to discover that will let you explore a thousand dimensions of the city.

The Montréal exhibit

Launched at the beginning of the summer, the new permanent exhibit Montréal invites visitors to discover the city’s history differently, by exploring it from the inside, through the eyes of people who lived it and are living it. The exhibit showcases unique life stories, diverse experiences and a hundred fascinating testimonies. What’s more, it brings to light striking objects, images and digital animations that belong to a collective Montreal. You’ll come to the conclusion that there are as many Montreals as there are Montrealers, because of the rich diversity that makes this city so unique, lively and dynamic!

The Detours – Urban Experiences exhibit

The exhibit Detours – Urban Experiences immerses the public in the universe of Montrealers on singular paths, revealing one of the city’s unusual faces, often misunderstood, but leaving no one unmoved. A truly immersive experience, in which you’ll just as often meet people up close as share larger than life collective moments. The original staging that puts video front and centre ensures this star exhibit will transport you to unseen places, up close to the stories and emotions of these inspiring people. Recipient of a Numix prize, Detours – Urban Experiences runs until December 2025.

The A Mile in My Shoes exhibit

On display for the first time in North America, A Mile in My Shoes invites visitors to walk in someone else’s shoes and discover the world through their eyes. This exhibit uses a completely original format: a shoe store where visitors can choose a pair, then listen to audio of an event that impacted the life of its original owner. More than thirty speeches, at times touching, inspiring and illuminating, are waiting to be discovered. Don’t miss this exhibit, shown until August 31, 2025.