The Sherbrooke Museum of Nature and Science inspires, amazes and makes the discovery of nature, science and the richness of its natural heritage collections accessible to all. Majestically overlooking downtown Sherbrooke, the Museum, a non-profit organization, is teeming with activities of all kinds: exhibitions, multisensory shows, educational activities, conferences and one-off events.
MNS2 Activities:
Natural Stupidity: Science vs. Our Rebellious Brains
Date: Friday, October 9, 2026
Time: 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Location: Musée de la nature et des sciences de Sherbrooke
Description:
Sève Comes to Life! To celebrate the arrival of our new immersive exhibition, dive into major scientific questions through a program of themed activities for all ages as part of Science Culture Week.
Natural Stupidity: Science vs. Our Rebellious Brains
On Friday, October 9, 2026, join us free of charge for a 5-to-7 conference entitled Natural Stupidity: Science vs. Our Rebellious Brains, presented by Joël Leblanc, science journalist.
Generating false information only takes a few minutes. Debunking it can take days. This is a major challenge for science journalists—and for everyone else as well.
What is science, and what makes information reliable? Why are our brains attracted to unreliable information?
This conference explores the scientific method and our cognitive biases—in short, critical thinking applied to everyday life.
Joël Leblanc
Science communicator and journalist, contributor to Radio-Canada (Pénélope) and Québec Science, founder of Le Bunker des sciences, and former president of the ACS.
The Sève exhibition will be open to the public during the evening.
The activities presented by the Musée de la nature et des sciences de Sherbrooke during Science Culture Week are made possible through financial support from the Government of Québec through the NovaScience program of the Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Energy
Ticketing
Launch of Dr. David Fortin’s New Book
Date: Saturday, October 10, 2026
Time: 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Location: Musée de la nature et des sciences de Sherbrooke
Description:
Sève Comes to Life! To celebrate the arrival of our new immersive exhibition, dive into major scientific questions through a program of themed activities for all ages as part of Science Culture Week.
Double Feature Program
The launch of the new book by Dr. David Fortin, neurosurgeon and neuro-oncologist, will be followed by a conference-debate entitled Is AI Intelligent?
5:00 PM – Launch of Dr. David Fortin’s book "Là où l’araignée pond ses œufs"
During this 5-to-7 event, Dr. David Fortin, neurosurgeon and neuro-oncologist with Santé Québec – Estrie, will officially launch his brand-new novel, Where the Spider Lays Its Eggs.
Synopsis
“A patient suffering from a severe epileptic seizure is brought to the emergency department of a major Montréal hospital. Without identification and suffering from amnesia, he bears the scar of a recent craniotomy. Young neurosurgeon Tristan Samuel discovers a foreign object in the patient’s left temporal lobe. The patient dies before the nature of the removed implant can be determined.”
Librairie Appalaches will be on site with copies of Dr. Fortin’s book available for purchase:
This event is co-organized by Neurosciences Sherbrooke and the Musée de la nature et des sciences de Sherbrooke as part of Science Culture Week
The activities presented by the Musée de la nature et des sciences de Sherbrooke during Science Culture Week are made possible through financial support from the Government of Québec through the NovaScience program of the Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Energy:
Free Event
Conference-Debate: Is AI Intelligent?
Date: Saturday, October 10, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Location: Musée de la nature et des sciences de Sherbrooke
Description:
7:00 PM – Conference-Debate: Is AI Intelligent?
Hosted by Mathieu Fortin (the philosopher), a philosophy teacher at Collégial du Séminaire de Sherbrooke, this discussion will once again bring together Dr. David Fortin (the brain) and Prof. Pierre-Marc Jodoin (the information expert) in the same arena. These three collaborators previously crossed swords during a discussion that generated remarkable enthusiasm—the conversation could have continued all night! This time, they will have all the space and time needed to tackle a question that is as fascinating as it is slightly unsettling: is AI truly intelligent?
Free Event
Attend the conference-debate
The Sève exhibition will be open to the public during the evening.
You can even enjoy a double-feature experience by attending the launch of Dr. David Fortin’s new book at 5:00 PM on the same day.
This event is co-organized by Neurosciences Sherbrooke and the Musée de la nature et des sciences de Sherbrooke as part of Science Culture Week.
The activities presented by the Musée de la nature et des sciences de Sherbrooke during Science Culture Week are made possible through financial support from the Government of Québec through the NovaScience program of the Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Energy.
Discovering the Microcosm
Date: Sunday, October 11, 2026
Time: 10:30 AM and 2:30 PM
Location: Musée de la nature et des sciences de Sherbrooke
Description:
Sève Comes to Life! To celebrate the arrival of our new immersive exhibition, dive into major scientific questions through a program of themed activities for all ages as part of Science Culture Week.
Discovering the Microcosm
Attend the demonstration-conference Discovering the Microcosm. Explore the fascinating world of the tiny through the microscope lenses of Chloé Savard, also known as Tardibabe on Instagram.
Two presentations:
- 10:30 AM
- 2:30 PM
Activity included with regular museum admission.
When booking, be sure to select the presentation time you wish to attend.
Register here
The Sève exhibition will be open to the public.
This event is co-organized by Neurosciences Sherbrooke and the Musée de la nature et des sciences de Sherbrooke as part of Science Culture Week.
The activities presented by the Musée de la nature et des sciences de Sherbrooke during Science Culture Week are made possible through financial support from the Government of Québec through the NovaScience program of the Ministry of Economy, Innovation and Energy.
Date: Wednesday, October 14, 2026
Time: 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Location: Musée de la nature et des sciences de Sherbrooke
Description:
For the 8th edition of Le Climatoscope, the French-language science magazine dedicated to climate issues, the Climatoscope 360 team invites you to its launch event on October 14, 2026, starting at 5:30 PM, at the Musée de la nature et des sciences de Sherbrooke (225 Frontenac Street).
This edition features a special dossier on sustainable mobility. It also includes articles covering the magazine’s key themes: politics and society, biodiversity, justice, communications, science and technology, economics, and much more.
During this festive and welcoming evening, you will have the opportunity to meet researchers published in the magazine, as well as members of the Climatoscope 360 team. Guest speakers who contributed to this year’s edition will present their articles, including:
• Rachida Bouhid, author of the article “Influencers, Generation Z and Digital Mediation of Climate Knowledge.” Rachida is a PhD candidate in the Department of Strategy, Social Responsibility and Environment at the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM).
• Gabriel Meunier, co-author of the article “The 15-Minute City: What Effects on Mobility in Small Municipalities? The Case of Lanaudière.” Gabriel is Coordinator of Climate Change and Sustainable Mobility at the Lanaudière Regional Environmental Council (CRE Lanaudière).
• Jean-François Lefebvre, Ph.D., lecturer in the Department of Urban and Tourism Studies at the Université du Québec à Montréal, and co-author of the article “Decarbonizing Parcel Delivery in Québec.”
Participants will also have the opportunity to visit the brand-new Sève exhibition, which will be open free of charge for launch attendees.
Free event – limited seating
Autumn Perspectives – Nature Photography Outing
Date: Saturday, October 17, 2026
Time: 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Location: Johnville Ecoforest Park (3999 North Road, Cookshire-Eaton)
Description:
This fall, take a creative look at an exceptional natural environment. With its forest trails, remarkable peat bog, and pond reflecting the sky and the season’s vibrant colours, Johnville Ecoforest Park offers an outstanding setting for nature photography.
We will follow the pond trail, making four stops along the way, each featuring a unique photography challenge. How can you best capture the colours of autumn? How do you create an engaging image in an almost flat landscape? How can you use light and reflections on the pond to your advantage? And how do you highlight the unique character of a peat bog?
🗓️ Saturday, October 17, 2026
🕜 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
📍 Johnville Ecoforest Park (3999 North Road, Cookshire-Eaton)
Meeting Point: Ecoforest Park parking lot
🎫 Free activity, reservations strongly recommended
Primarily intended for adults aged 50 and over
Register Now
This outing will also provide an opportunity to put into practice the photography tips shared by photographer Guy Tremblay during the September 26 workshop.
Bring your camera or smartphone—and most importantly, your curiosity and good spirits!
Conference on the Geology of Quebec’s Green Mountains
Date: October 24, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Location: Sherbrooke Museum of Nature and Sciences
The mountains and valleys of the Eastern Townships tell nearly 540 million years of natural history. Join us for a public lecture on Saturday, October 24, at 7:00 PM, and journey back through deep time to discover the rocks, sediments, and geological events that shaped the majestic Green Mountains.
Speaker: Pierre-Olivier Leroux, Geoscientist and Professor at Cégep de Thetford
Sound and Light or Silence and Darkness? – A Conference on Light and Noise Pollution
Free activity – Registration recommended
Ticketing
Sound and Light or Silence and Darkness? – A Conference on Light and Noise Pollution
Date: October 29, 2026
Time: 5:00 PM
Location: Sherbrooke Museum of Nature and Sciences
On Thursday, October 29, at 5:00 PM, visit the Museum to discover research projects on light and noise pollution conducted by students and professors from Cégep de Sherbrooke and the Université de Sherbrooke. Two student presentations and three faculty presentations will provide fascinating insights into these environmental issues. The measurement tools used in the projects—including bicycles equipped for data collection—will also be showcased.
The Skeletons Are Out of the Closet!
Dates: October 24–25 and October 28 to November 1, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Location: Sherbrooke Museum of Nature and Sciences
This spring, a giant arrived at the Museum: the skeleton of a minke whale, now the largest specimen in our collection! Its arrival inspired a special Halloween activity—a hidden skeleton hunt. Keep your eyes open during your visit: how many skeletons can you find? Look closely… every bone has a story to tell!
🎫 Self-guided activity included with regular Museum admission.
This youth activity is made possible through the financial support of Hydro-Québec.
Our current exhibitions:
PERMANENT EXHIBITIONS
AlterAnima - Unexpected Encounters
Plunge into a world of fantasy where what you see is mixed with what animals see, in a way that is as unexpected as it is scientific. The AlterAnima exhibit presents the most beautiful taxidermic specimens from the collections of the Museum in an artistic and original setting. Hundreds of animals await your visit, including a polar bear and a cougar. You must be on the lookout and open your eyes; several animals are hidden in unexpected places! A cascade of visual and acoustic surprises awaits you in this fantastic forest!
Sève
Step into an immersive experience where science comes alive through a unique interactive and sensory journey. By completing digital and cognitive challenges, you help grow the Tree of Knowledge while discovering how science can help better understand and address environmental challenges. A playful and technological exhibition that turns learning into a living, accessible, and inspiring experience.
TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS
Nuns, Teachers AND… Scientists!
Dates: September 18, 2026 to January 10, 2027
Location: Musée de la nature et des sciences de Sherbrooke
Was science in the 19th century an exclusively male domain? Quite the contrary! This exhibition reveals that Canadian girls received a high-quality science education from religious communities as early as the 1830s.
Through a dynamic exhibition design, visitors discover how the Ursulines and the Sisters of the Congrégation de Notre-Dame developed innovative programs to teach a variety of scientific subjects: botany, chemistry, physics, mineralogy and more. This is evidenced by the intriguing objects showcased throughout the exhibition, drawn from specimen collections gathered by teachers and their students, as well as from school museums and science cabinets. In Quebec, these pioneers laid the groundwork for an educational system where every woman can now access scientific knowledge and pursue scientific careers.
In addition to texts, artifacts and archival images, the experience is enriched with interactive games and multimedia content. To bridge the gap between the past and the present and raise awareness about the issue of women’s underrepresentation in certain scientific disciplines even today, four contemporary women in science share their poignant stories. Visitors will be invited to share their own experience in science or to write a message of encouragement to girls dreaming of a career in this field.
A traveling exhibition co-produced by the Site historique Marguerite-Bourgeoys and the Musée des Ursulines de Trois-Rivières.
The exhibition was made possible thanks to contributions from the Government of Canada and the Gouvernement du Québec.
