A Heritage worth preserving: Work in progress at the Plains of Abraham Museum

Built in 1938-1939, the Plains of Abraham Museum building was first used to house the Ammunition Inspection Section of the Dominion Arsenal—a large ammunition factory that had been present in the city and on the Plains since the late 19th century.

Beginning in 1947, the Royal Canadian Navy also moved in and eventually took up the entire building with classrooms, offices, and training facilities. The building was then named after the local Naval Reserve division: HMCS Montcalm. In 1996, it became the property of the National Battlefields Commission.

Inspired by the architecture of the castles in the Loire Valley, and echoing the style of its neighbour, the Armoury, the building is the work of Quebec architects Ludger Robitaille and Gabriel Desmeules. It was classified as a historic monument in 1992.

A lively place

Since 1998, the building has been a site for welcoming and informing those who visit the Plains. First known as the Discovery Pavilion, it became the Plains of Abraham Museum in 2014.

It offers permanent and temporary exhibitions to promote the park’s rich heritage. Each year, over 100,000 people take part in the different historical activities available and visit the exhibitions.

Work in progress

You can rest assured that all necessary measures have been taken to limit the impacts of the repair work.