Quebec museum unveils 'NAT' rebrand and inaugural lineup
The Musée national de l'histoire du Québec is simplifying its name to NAT and debuting exhibitions on hockey, chanson québécoise, and 10 chapters of Quebec identity, opening fall 2026.
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Quebec's new national history museum is rebranding itself as NAT—a shorthand meant to resonate with younger audiences—and has announced its opening slate of exhibitions.
Director Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin said the museum aims to tell Quebec's evolution through ten pivotal chapters in Il était dix fois. A separate exhibition, Sacré hockey!, will explore hockey as a national sport. Another, Une chance qu'on chante, co-produced with the Maison de la chanson et de la musique du Québec, will celebrate Quebec song.
For younger visitors, Ça prend tout un village! offers an interactive journey. A laboratory space called Faire nation will let visitors debate what defines Quebec identity. A companion exhibition, Gens du pays, will profile a hundred significant Quebec figures.
The museum, housed in the historic Séminaire de Québec atop the cliffs of Cap-Diamant, was originally planned to open spring 2026 but is now targeting fall. Pedneaud-Jobin acknowledged the complexity: "At the beginning, I said we're building the plane in mid-flight, but now I say we're building the space shuttle in mid-flight."
A major digital component—magazine, podcasts, video series, online debates—will allow the NAT to reach beyond its physical walls. Culture Minister Mathieu Lacombe described it as the world's most digital museum.
The shift from a formal institutional name to NAT reflects broader ambitions: to present Quebec history not as a museum piece, but as a living, contested, dynamic conversation.