I had been there with my children between the age of 9 and 15, it was free entrance during Christmas vacation. it was quite interesting place , the staff was very friendly and helpful. There was a place where you can put your jackets in till you finish. We started from the fourth floor where there are antiques from different civilizations then we went down to the first floor for the paintings and that was the magnificent part of the museum, we enjoyed the most, then we went to the Egyptian mummies place ( you to pay 30$ for an adult to accompany children under 18), it is small department but well organized. The children loved the experience.

If you don't have the time (or energy) to explore the whole thing, would recommend starting with the Quebec/Canada pavilion. Although they do have a collection of international art, the Canadian art is where this museum really shines. The contemporary art and design collections, particularly the section on glass in all forms, is also very good.

I gave the MMFA a five star review when I last visited, but this time I had enough time to see the entire museum (that was open) as well as the gift shop, so I am in a better position to review it. It still deserves five stars, but just barely. For such a large museum (five buildings), the collection is not as impressive as the size would indicate. For example, it does not come anywhere close to the Boston MFA or the Washington National Gallery of Art, both of which I have lived near and seen dozens of times. But by Canadian standards, it is a five star art museum (I'm both Canadian and US, so I'm not trying to favor one country's museums, but be objective and helpful to readers of my reviews). The building with the Canadian collection does a nice job of providing an overview of Canadian painting. The collection of Inuit and Native American art is also a good overview, but after having seen the Museum of Anthropology at UBC, it looks like a sideshow. Nonetheless, I was still happy to see what I did. I'm mainly interested in European and North American painting from 1500-1900, and the museum has a good collection, but concentrated in a few areas. There are two rooms of 17th century Dutch and Flemish painting, about 30 paintings. There is a very good Rembrandt portrait from 1668 and Jacob Ruisdael's "Bleaching Fields of Haarlem", two standout paintings. It's a fine collection, a highlight in my opinion. There is an enchanting small enclosed space with curiosities which is delightful, a mixture of paintings and small craft objects. There is a floor with an exhibit devoted to Napoleon. Given that France had lost most of its Canadian territory by this point, I'm not sure why the MMFA would have this exhibit, but it was interesting. There is also an extensive collection of early Renaissance religious paintings that is quite good. The gift shop is good sized and has quite a few books. The staff were helpful in finding me a book at a very good price. My wife and daughter both bought scarves, so the shop has a lot to offer. The museum is not inexpensive ($24 Canadian), but worth it if you have the time to explore the entire museum. It is also free to everyone 20 and under, so family friendly prices. I noticed a lot of teenagers while I was there, and that might be why. The museum was not crowded, even on a Sunday, but it was winter and cold outside, so that might be why. Unfortunately, the decorative arts part of the museum was closed, so you might want to call ahead to make sure the parts you want to see are open.