Montreal’s full of things to see and do, but let’s face it — not every spot in the city lives up to its ticket price. Between long lines, crowded halls, and underwhelming exhibits, some attractions just miss the mark.
But one local museum is getting international recognition for doing the opposite.
According to a new global ranking by Radical Storage, the Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal is one of the least disappointing museums in the world. The study looked at over 82,000 visitor reviews of the 100 most-visited museums globally, scoring each one based on the ratio of positive to negative feedback.
Montreal’s fine arts museum ranked 8th overall, with a satisfaction score of 62.1 out of 100. Reviewers most often described it as “great,” and it was one of only a handful of museums in the top 10 to crack the list from North America.
Here’s how the full top 10 least disappointing museums ranked:
- 1. National Portrait Gallery — Washington, D.C., USA (76.9)
- 2. Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum — Glasgow, UK (75.9)
- 3. National Museum of Korea — Seoul, South Korea (74.1)
- 4. Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum — Madrid, Spain (73.8)
- 5. Palacio de Cristal del Retiro — Madrid, Spain (71.9)
- 6. California Science Center — Los Angeles, USA (69.5)
- 7. National Folk Museum of Korea — Seoul, South Korea (65.2)
- 8. Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal — Montreal, Canada (62.1)
- 9. National Gallery of Art — Washington, D.C., USA (56.1)
- 10. National Maritime Museum — London, UK (55.2)
The study’s top spot went to the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.. Meanwhile, some iconic institutions didn’t fare nearly as well. The National Air and Space Museum was named the world’s most disappointing, with a score of just 7.5, and was weighed down by negative reviews that used words like “dull” and “disappointing.”
In fact, many world-famous museums saw low scores due to crowd complaints, including the Louvre in Paris and New York’s Museum of Natural History.
Compared to those heavy hitters, Montreal’s fine arts museum may not be the flashiest, but it turns out that’s part of the appeal. Sometimes, the best experience is simply one that doesn’t let you down.
You can read Radical Storage’s full museum ranking here.
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