Pierre Lassonde Pavilion
Part of Québec City’s allure is there is always a cultural moment to experience. With a mix of art galleries, museums and European architecture dating back to the 1600s, visitors are enriched as they walk along the cobblestone streets to gaze at the massive stone ramparts and ornate French-style structures.
Recently named the culture destination of the year at the Leading Culture Destinations Awards, supported by The New York Times, Québec City is a blend of old and new—preserving centuries of the past, while creating new artistic initiatives.
Since event-goers continue to add leisure days to their business trips, this city is an attractive destination in which to linger, with all its heritage and ambiance.
Yet, for those with time constraints, museum-hopping before or after a conference can be limiting. To make it easier for attendees to experience culture during their entire stay, Québec City offers unique event spaces in its museums and galleries.
In one of North America’s oldest cities, professionals can help get your planning routine down to a fine art.
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec: Pierre Lassonde Pavilion
Nestled amongst 108 hectares of plains, wooded areas and gardens in National Battlefields Park and surrounded by a magnificent sculpture garden, the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec offers attendees an experience that combines both business and pleasure.
One of its most majestic spaces is the brand new Pierre Lassonde Pavilion–an architectural masterpiece and the largest cultural development project in Québec to date.
Striking glass facades encompass the entire building and infuse the space with natural light and views of the Plains of Abraham and surrounding arts district.
This is the museum’s fourth pavilion, built to house permanent and temporary collections. It features new exhibit halls, services and areas to hold private events, along with a rooftop terrace that overlooks the St. Lawrence River. Facing the vibrant street life and Victorian architecture of Grande Allée, event-goers can network in a space that blends urban energy with a serene park landscape.
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec
The rest of the museum offers eight fully-equipped meeting rooms of varying flexibility. Private exhibition tours can be arranged for groups between seminars and plenary speeches, where attendees can gaze upon more than 38,000 works of art dating from the 17th century to the present day.
For another unique spin, the Québec City Business Destination suggests the Charles Baillairge Pavillion. The atrium was a former Québec City jail, built in 1867 and annexed to the museum in 1991. The four-storey high architectural jewel adds an exciting cultural dimension to a lecture or cocktail gathering.
Morrin Centre
Built more than 200 years ago to house a public prison, the Morrin Centre has lived many lives, at one time serving as Québec City’s first English-language institute of higher education that awarded degrees to women. Now home to the Literary and Historical Society of Quebec and a Harry Potter-like Victorian library, with books dating back to the 1600s, this event space is rich in culture and something magical.
This heritage space features five areas for corporate events and business meetings, including its most spacious room College Hall, which once served as the main area of Morrin College from 1868 to 1902. A balcony that once overlooked intellectual debates and choral concerts is still a prominent feature of the 2,052-square-foot room that fits 225 standing and 120 sitting (banquet style and theatre).
Writer Charles Dickens once gave a lecture in the English-language library open since 1868. Now, as the modern world spins outside, guests can enjoy business meetings, tea parties and cocktail evenings, while surrounded by walls of books and stories of luminaries who once stood in that very same room.
Morrin Centre – Library
Smaller spaces in the building include a science laboratory, an exhibit room and a third floor meeting room. Attendees will feel culturally inspired surrounded by 16th century artifacts in the chemistry lab, which is ideal for business meetings, workshops and cocktail receptions. Another conversation starter is the ground-floor prison exhibit room with old jail cells that once housed famous and infamous prisoners, from novelists to murderers.
Smaller spaces in the building include an exhibit room, a third floor meeting room and a chemistry lab that still holds 16th century artifacts. The latter is ideal for business meetings, workshops and cocktail receptions. Another conversation starter is the ground-floor prison exhibit room with old jail cells that once housed famous and infamous prisoners, from novelists to murderers.
While this building may be two centuries old, its professional events team doesn’t skimp on all the modern day necessities needed for a successful event. Whether planning a full meeting or conference, or using the space as a supplementary venue near the Québec City Convention Centre, the historical ambiance of the Morrin Cente will bring culture to your next event.
The Musée de la civilisation
Situated by the St. Lawrence River and Old Québec, and a ten minute walk from the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac, The Musée de la civilisation is a place that ignites minds. This is a place that will inspire guests to reflect on the human experience and transformation that cultures around the world have endured. Ancient civilizations, major sociocultural movements and Québec’s own culture and history come alive through unique exhibits and interactive programming.
Booking space at the museum means guests will have exclusive access to these world-class exhibitions. Depending on the style of the event, the glass-walled Grand Hall accommodates up to 1,000 people amidst its unique architecture. During summer, the Hall opens onto a picturesque, cocktail-friendly courtyard surrounded by a stone wall belonging to the Estèbe House, built in 1751.
Two auditoriums are fitted with sophisticated and technical equipment handled by on-site professionals. The smaller auditorium is perfect for conferences, training sessions and business meetings, and beneficial for discussions and personalized communication.
Québec City’s remarkable mix of architecture, history, and arts and culture, offers planners an abundance of unique spots to hold a corporate meeting or event. Attendees are bound to feel enriched in this designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.
To learn more about Québec City’s museums and galleries visit the website for more information. Representatives with extensive knowledge about the city’s arts and culture are on hand to help you find a unique space your next event.
