Museums in Quebec: Visitor numbers are increasing, but the crisis remains!

Museums in Quebec: Visitor numbers are increasing, but the crisis remains!

In Quebec, museum attendance remains a key issue. In 2024, around 13.3 million visitors came to the province's museums, which is only slightly different from the 13.2 million in 2023. Nevertheless, it turns out that this value represents a decrease of 13% compared to pre-pandemic figures. This is based on a current analysis by Statistics Quebec out.

The conclusions from these numbers are not clear. 93% of visits, or around 12.4 million, are visits registered directly in the museums. This represents an increase of 3% compared to 2023, but it is also important to remember that there is an 11% decrease compared to the average number of visitors from 2015 to 2019. During the period between 2003 and 2011, visitation numbers remained stable, but showed an increase since 2017 before the COVID-19 pandemic caused a drastic decline in 2020.

Visitor numbers by museum

A look at the different museums shows that the vast majority saw an increase in visitor numbers compared to 2023, apart from science museums, which fell by 5%. The decline was particularly dramatic for art museums, with a decline of 43%, and for museums of history, ethnology and archeology the balance was also negative at 8%. According to a report by Musées Quebec 12.4 million people visited museums in 2024.

The regional differences are also notable. While the Capitale-Nationale and Montréal regions account for 31% of museums in Quebec, the Outaouais region has seen its visitor numbers almost double. In contrast, Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine and Laval suffered declines of 11% and 10%, respectively. The largest declines compared to the 2015-2019 averages occurred in the Laurentides (40%) and Outaouais (27%).

Extra-museum activities and school visits

In addition to the number of visitors to the museums themselves, the data also shows a decrease in activities outside of the museums. In 2024, 150 museums (38%) had such activities, but visitor numbers were only 0.9 million, a decrease of 20% compared to the previous year. The decline in school attendance is particularly noticeable: a decrease of 19% compared to 2019 was found, which primarily affects primary school students, where the number was even reduced by 35%.

The situation in museums is also reflected in general population trends. Many people today are increasingly turning to natural remedies, such as plant medicine, to support their health. Such traditions show how important cultural knowledge remains, even when it comes to using museums as places of learning and community integration. While we now rely on a variety of healing methods, visiting museums remains an important source of cultural exchange and education.