This text is part of the special Christmas book at the museum
Do you remember your wonder, as a child, when you held in your hands a glass snowball filled with twirling glitter? A similar magical atmosphere is offered to you during the holiday season at the Pointe-à-Callière museum …
The magic of Christmas will warm the hearts of visitors as soon as they arrive at Place Royale, in the heart of Old Montreal: “This year, we want to attract families more. There will be a magical Christmas decor outside the museum. People will be able to contemplate a luminous forest, seated on Adirondack chairs. Spontaneous animations will be offered on Christmas legends around the world, ”explains Katy Tari, director of collections, programs and public services at Pointe-à-Callière. The area around the museum will be pedestrianized for the occasion. Four characters will walk in turn among the illuminated trees to meet the public: Befana, Saint Nicolas, little Lucie and Santa Claus. These outdoor activities are free.
In the circus caravan
Inside the museum, the exhibition Make way for the circus! will give the public the chance to learn more about the world of the circus, from the first European and American troupes to today’s international shows. “You will also be introduced to circus trades: acrobat, trapeze artist, cannon-man, animal tamer or clown. On the second floor, we talk about the circus in Quebec from yesterday to today and we see how it stood out, ”says Mme Tari. Life on tour, the preparation of shows, as well as life after the circus will also be discussed. A playbook will be available to explore this temporary exhibition and its 350 objects in a fun way. The proposed Circassian universe is dazzling, if only for its bright and colorful appearance.
Make your own circus decor
In order to add a touch of creativity to its programming, the museum has created a workshop space for young people, which will be open to them during the holiday season. From December 27 to 30 in the afternoon (by reservation), a series of creation workshops will be offered to 6 years old and over, in connection with the exhibition Make way for the circus!. “From December 27 to 29, children will be able to create cardboard objects that they can take home,” says Mme Tari. They will also make and decorate a marquee, which will then serve as a pocket theater. They will finally have to make a circus character. Creators with fertile imaginations will have the rest of the holidays to invent a thousand and one circus shows in their house marquees.
On December 30, it is a phenakistiscope, an optical toy giving the illusion of movement, that young people will be invited to create: “It is the ancestor of animated films,” explains Katy Tari. Our young artists are going to make a juggling clown. They will color it, dress it and, in the end, see it move. “
Pirates, privateers and seafarers
The permanent exhibition Boarding! Pirates or privateers?, revised and improved this year, will delight young and old alike, according to Katy Tari: “We enter an inn, where we get to know famous pirate characters, such as Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville, privateer Canadian, and Mary Read, a legendary female pirate. You will also discover the difference between a privateer and a pirate. Young people will also be able to understand what the life of a sailor is like, put themselves in the shoes of a pirate or a privateer and see if they have sea legs. »Blackbeard, Calico Jack and Black Bart are also part of the decor, as well as objects related to the maritime world, including navigation instruments, ship models, tools, weapons and loot… In short, the museum created a more interactive and dynamic version of this featured exhibit.
Italian
Don’t leave the museum without going to see with your older children Italian-style Montreal, an exhibition on the thousands of Italians who followed the wave of immigration to Quebec at the beginning of the 20th centurye century and settled in Montreal. Their contribution to the economic, social and cultural life of the metropolis is highlighted there. Family treasures were entrusted to the Pointe-à-Callière team for the creation of this exhibition, which gives the project an authentic and touching character.
The Pointe-à-Callière Museum, the only major archaeological museum in Canada, located on the site of the founding of Montreal, also offers permanent exhibitions on the history and archeology of the metropolis. Enough to introduce children to history in a concrete and fascinating way.