Montreal attractions

Saint Paul Street (Rue Saint-Paul), located in Montreal’s Old Port, is an historic stretch of cafes, boutiques, galleries, and souvenir shops. Constructed in 1672, Saint Paul is the oldest street in the city and home to a few of its top landmarks, including Bonsecours Market and Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel.

The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (Musée des Beaux-Arts), located in the heart of the Golden Square Mile neighborhood, is one of Canada’s most prominent cultural institutions. Home to over 44,000 works of art, from European masterpieces to Inuit sculpture, the museum also hosts classical concerts, public programs, and lecture series.

Designed by architect Buckminster Fuller to serve as the US pavilion for the 1967 World’s Fair, the Montreal Biosphere (la Biosphère) is one of the city’s most instantly recognizable landmarks. Inside, it houses a range of exhibitions focusing on eco-technologies, sustainable development, and climate change. It's a must-see for all visitors to Montreal.

Situated on the banks of the St. Lawrence River, the Montreal Science Centre (Centre des Sciences de Montréal) is a museum committed to educating the public about science and technology through hands-on learning. Its IMAX theater, daily programs, and interactive exhibits help make the Science Centre a popular attraction for both visiting and local families.

Pointe-à-Callière traces the history of Montreal, from First Nations’ settlements to the arrival of the Europeans and beyond. As well as immersive and interactive exhibits, the museum also displays authentic archaeological and architectural remains including parts of centuries-old fortifications and a 17th-century cemetery.

Built in the 1960s by Montreal mayor Jean Drapeau, Place des Arts is Canada’s largest cultural complex. In addition to housing the Contemporary Art Museum and outdoor art installations, the performing arts center boasts six concert halls where guests attend a range of cultural and musical performances, including ballet, opera, and theater.

The St. Lawrence River flows 743 miles (1,196 kilometers) across a vast chunk of North America, from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. A lifeblood for Ontario and Quebec, the river has long sustained communities, from native tribes to European colonizers. Its waters host wildlife, including whale species and endangered belugas.

Montreal has one of the largest Italian communities in Canada, and nowhere is the community’s huge influence on the city more obvious than in leafy, park-filled Little Italy. As in Italy itself, food is an integral part of Little Italy’s appeal, and foodies flock to crowded pizzerias, old-school delis, and the vast Jean-Talon Market.

Ranking among the world’s finest botanical gardens, the expansive Montreal Botanical Garden is more than just a garden; it’s a horticultural experience. Stroll through more than a dozen themed gardens and 10 greenhouses, blooming with plants and flowers from around the globe, and admire colorful, seasonal displays of tulips, cherry blossoms, roses, dahlias, lilies, and countless other blooms.

Since its completion in 1892, Dorchester Square (Le Square Dorchester) has been a cultural and political focal point for protests, social gatherings, and pedestrian traffic in Downtown Montreal. Adjacent to the Dominion Square Building and Place du Canada, the public park is home to four historic monuments, including a Robert Burns statue and the Boer War memorial.

Crescent Street (Rue Crescent), situated in the heart of Montreal’s bustling downtown, is the epicenter of the city's nightlife and home of the Grand Prix Festival, a celebration of the annual Formula One race. Lined with row houses, galleries, restaurants, and highly rated nightclubs, the street is a popular destination for visitors and locals alike.

A rare pocket of green in a built-up part of downtown Montreal, Champ de Mars served as a military parade ground and city parking lot before it was converted into a park in the 1980s. During the conversion, workers unearthed remains from Montreal’s old fortifications, and parts of the restored city walls were incorporated into the site.

See creatures, from poison dart frogs to penguins, in their native habitats in the Montreal Biodome (Biodome de Montreal). It's among the top family-friendly Montreal activities. It’s not just a zoo: The biodome recreates the plant and animal life of five ecosystems of the Americas, including the sub-Antarctic islands, tropical rainforest, Laurentian maple forest, and maritime Gulf of Saint Lawrence.

The action in Montreal's Latin Quarter (Quartier Latin) centers on Saint-Denis, a street lined with funky shops and bistros. The area really comes into its own in summer when it hosts festivals. Locals, tourists, and French-speaking students from University of Quebec at Montreal pack the neighborhood’s many cafes, bars, theaters, and live music venues.

Housed inside a 1930s building topped with an art deco clock tower, Atwater Market (Marché Atwater) is one of the city’s top foodie hot spots. Food sellers hawk local artisanal produce including Canadian ice wine, maple syrup, Quebec cheeses, charcuterie, fresh-from-the-oven pastries, and all kinds of farm-grown fruit and vegetables.

The aptly named Outremont (French for “beyond the mountain”) is situated northwest of Mount Royal. Since its establishment in the 1800s, Outremont has remained one of Montreal’s most upscale Francophone areas and a hub for the city’s Hasidic population. Today, the neighborhood features parks, historic homes, and hidden gem bars.

Bordeaux’s main shopping street stretches 1.2 km (0.7 miles through the city center and is one of the longest pedestrianized shopping streets in Europe. Rue Sainte-Catherine is book-ended by the Place de la Comédie in the north, which is home to the city’s Neo-Classical Grand Theater, and the Place de la Victoire to the south.

The Lachine Canal (Canal de Lachine), which runs 9 miles (14.5 kilometers) from Montreal’s Old Port to Lake St. Louis, was built in 1824 to allow ships to bypass the dangerous Lachine Rapids. Today, the canal is lined with parks, bike paths, public art, and bustling residential neighborhoods, as well as the Fur Trade National Historic Site.

Covering an area of 480 square miles (1,245 square kilometers), the protected waters of the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park (Parc Marin du Saguenay-Saint-Laurent) are among Eastern Canada’s best wildlife-viewing hot spots. Many impressive cetaceans, from blue whales to belugas, as well as several types of seals and hundreds of different species of sea birds dwell here.

La Fontaine Park (Parc La Fontaine), located just north of Montreal’s Gay Village, is an 84-acre green space where locals come to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. Built in 1845 on what was once farmland, the park now boasts walking and bike paths, picnic areas, ponds, a dog park, tennis and pétanque courts, and outdoor swimming pools.

Running almost the length of the island, Notre-Dame Street (Rue Notre-Dame) is one of Montreal’s most prominent thoroughfares. The most interesting stretches are in Old Montreal (Vieux Montréal), where it’s lined by historic buildings, and in Griffintown, Little Burgundy, and St. Henri, where antique stores, cafés, and restaurants abound.

Known for its sizable collection of artifacts from Canada’s First Peoples, the McCord Museum celebrates Canadian history and the lives of Montreal residents. With numerous rotating exhibitions, art objects from photographs to textiles, and an artist-in-residence program, the McCord is a must for museum lovers and history enthusiasts.

Les Cours Mont-Royal is an elegant shopping mall that occupies the premises of a swanky old hotel and contains upscale boutiques, a day spa, and a permanent exhibition devoted to Barbie dolls. Many original architectural and design features from the 1920s structure, including a grand curving marble staircase and a huge ceiling chandelier, remain in place.

The Musée d'Art Contemporain de Montréal (MAC) houses a permanent collection of more than 8,000 works by Quebec, Canadian, and international artists. A diverse range of mediums are represented from digital, sound, and video works to photographs, installations, and sculptures, showcasing modern and avant-garde art dating from 1939 onward.

Located in Montreal’s Eaton Centre, the Grevin Museum (Musée Grévin Montréal) features 120 lifelike wax figures with a focus on Hollywood stars, Canadian celebrities, and world icons, from Tom Hanks to Celine Dion. With eight themed rooms, plenty of photo opportunities, and an on-site café, the museum is a popular choice for families.

Ville-Marie is the core of Montreal, encompassing most of the downtown area, including Old Montreal (Vieux-Montréal), the Quartier des Spectacles cultural quarter, the Gay Village, two islands on the St. Lawrence River, and most of Mount Royal Park (Parc du Mont-Royal). It’s jam-packed with museums, churches, shops, restaurants, and other top attractions.

Montreal’s La Ronde amusement park (operated by Six Flags) is one of the largest in Canada, and the largest in the country’s east. It offers everything from toddler-friendly rides and a huge Ferris wheel to 10 roller coasters and even a thrilling human catapult. With more than 40 rides, there should be something for everyone at this seasonal favorite.

The forested peaks, serene lakes, and quaint villages of the Laurentian Mountains (Les Laurentides) are where Montrealers go to escape the city. In winter, resorts such as Mont-Tremblant and Mont-Sainte-Anne (Beaupré) cater to snow sports enthusiasts, while in summer, the region is a playground for hikers, climbers, paddlers, and white-water rafters.

When Montrealers refer to “the mountain,” they mean Mount Royal. Really, it’s a 764-foot (233-meter) hill, but that’s no matter. Mount Royal Park was designed in 1876 by none other than Frederick Law Olmsted—of Central Park fame—and since then, it’s been the city’s green lung, where locals go hiking, biking, boating, bird-watching, and picnicking.

On Montreal’s Notre Dame Island (Île Notre-Dame) within Parc Jean-Drapeau, the 2.7-mile (4.4-kilometer) Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve hosts the Grand Prix du Canada and serves as a popular spot for biking, inline skating, running, and walking during the rest of the year. The multipurpose track also offers scenic views of Montreal, thanks to its location in the Saint Lawrence River.