Quebec has got the cool museum thing locked down. Musee D'archeologie Et D'histoire is a bravo case in point. We went on a busy Saturday during lunchtime. Good thing too, because when we left the lobby was mobbed out the door. Crowds are one of only two drawbacks in this museum, the other being the confusing layout. There are stairs and elevators and paths to mysterious places and it's hard to know where the tour starts and stops. But one can figure it out and enjoy even without the guided tour.
The sense of place is palpable here; in most museums one just looks at objects. Musee D'archeologie Et D'histoire is built right on the point where the city was settled, the result being a layer cake-like stratification of ruins from bygone eras. It's really, really weird to be standing on such a pivotal location where so many who are now gone have walked and made history before you ever existed. Or maybe I'm just over-awed. Anyway, you walk through the catacomb and see how the layer cake was made. It's like a Quebec-style episode of Quantum Leap. Exhibits are well executed and appear in both Anglais and en Francais. I thought the two hours we spent was well worth the mid-range price of admission.
Highly recommended for history buffs, yet still very accessible to the generic tourist who wants to get off the beaten path. Metro stop is Place d'Armes, then a five minute walk to the river point.