Château Dufresne Museum

This sumptuous house, a designated historical monument, reflects the aspirations and tastes of Montréal’s early 20th-century francophone bourgeoisie.

The Château Dufresne, a Museum and Historical Heritage Site, is administered by the Société du Château Dufresne, a not-for-profit organization founded on November 6, 1998. The Société was created to promote and manage the historical monument as a museum and to make it one of Montreal’s foremost recreational tourism attractions. Behind the elegant Beaux-Arts façade of this building, which is now over 100 years old, are the twinned residences of the first occupants, Oscar and Marius Dufresne, two prominent middle-class figures in the early 20th century in Montreal. In 1948, the Dufresne family estate sold the property to the Pères de Saint-Croix. This religious order used it as the site for the Dufresne Pavilion, an annex to the Collège de Saint-Croix. In 1957, the City of Montreal acquired this exceptionally valuable heritage property and became responsible for maintaining it. From 1965 to 1968, the city leased the premises to the Québec government’s Ministère des Affaires culturelles, which used it to house the first Musée national d’art contemporain. In 1976, steps were taken to protect the property. The Québec government declared the Château Dufresne a historical monument and, with the generous patronage of the Macdonald Stewart Foundation, a large portion of the Château’s interior was restored. From 1979 to 1997, the Château housed the province’s very first Musée des arts décoratifs, before becoming the Musée du Château Dufresne in 1999. The historical importance of this heritage site, which extends far beyond the significance it had during the time of the Dufresne family, is well recognized today. With the many cultural events that took place there, the Château Dufresne became a cultural focal point for the Quiet Revolution, as well as a museum that brought Québec into the modern era.