Place

What to do with Children in Tow

Montreal promises quality time to both adults and kids. The ongoing year-round festivals are usually family-oriented, and so are most public places around the city.

City guide

Overview & visitor information

Montreal promises quality time to both adults and kids. The ongoing year-round festivals are usually family-oriented, and so are most public places around the city.

Some venues also offer child-specific activities. Some of them are:

1. Montreal Science Centre: Location: 333, de la Commune Street West, Montréal (Québec), H2Y 2E2. Telephone: 1 877 496-4724 or (514) 496-4724 Fax: (514) 496-0667

The ultimate sci-tech entertainment center for both youngsters and adults. Special attractions, shows, and activities that challenge young minds and motivate them to explore the realm of science through interactive games, puzzles, and intuitive learning experiences. Some popular section include the Science 26, a group of 26 separate islands, each denoted by an alphabet that abbreviated a scientific term; Mission Gaia, a simulation that allows you to view the ramifications of human action on the earth and our environment; IDTV, an enriching learning process where you work in groups to create television broadcasts while side by side learning the essentials of videomaking and editing; and Imagine, which offers an insight into creative thought processes and brain functioning. Educational and fun for kids of all ages. Also offers presentations on various topics all year round.

The IMAX Theater is also present within the Montreal Science Center. It offers screenings of various science-related movies, documentaries, and short films. Has a large five-story screen that truly brings movies to life. Movies are usually less than an hour. Tickets can be bought on site or online. Open 10am to 10pm.

2. Montreal Planetarium: Location: 1000, rue Saint-Jacques, Montréal (Québec), H3C 1G7 Telephone: 514 872-4530 Fax: 514 872-8102 Tickets: adults $8, children $4, students $6, elders $6. Email: [email protected]

Presentations, shows, and interactive learning for kids, all under a breathtaking 66 ft dome. Special group activities for schoolchildren. Many free lectures throughout the year. Shows change seasonally, and every day usually has its own unique screenings.

3. Atrium Le 1000: Location: 1000 rue de la Gauchetière ouest, Downtown, Montreal. Telephone: 514/395-0555 Fax: (514) 395.4511 Timings: Daily from 11:30am (10:30am some weekend days for children) Tickets: Admission charges - Adults C$5.75, Children 12 and under C$3.75. Skate rent - C$5 Email: [email protected] Website: www.le1000.com

Large indoor skating rink open all year round, closed only in summer. A "Tiny Tot" hour, from 10:30am to 11:30am, is set aside especially for children under 13 years of age and their parents. This is on weekends during summer, and only Sundays during winter. Saturdays nights, from 7pm onwards, are "DJ Nights", that add some cool ligthing and music to the whole skating scene. Children over 13 allowed only. Skating lessons are offered for kids of all ages. The place also has quite a few good restaurants, as well as a shopping promenade.

4. La Ronde Amusement Park: Location: 22 Chemin Macdonald , Telephone: 514/397-2000 Timings: Open daily from 830am to 430pm. Email: [email protected] Website: www.laronde.com Tickets: Admission fee: C$37 for people 54 inches or taller, C$25 for people shorter than 54 inches. Children under 3 admitted free.

A complete family entertainment park. Contains 35 thrilling rides including rollercoaster and ferris wheels to make you go, quite literally, head-over-heels!

5. Insectarium de Montréal: Location: 4581 rue Sherbrooke est, Botanical Garden, Montreal. Telephone: 514/872-1400 Timings: 1st Nov to 14th May open daily from 9am to 5pm, 15th May to 6th Sept open daily from 9am to 6pm, 7th Sept to 31st Oct open daily from 9am to 9pm. Email: Website: http://www2.ville.montreal.qc.ca/insectarium/en/index.php

If your little one is interested in creepy crawlers, this is the place to take him! The Insectarium is more than just another ordinary mini-zoo. It has on display live creatures including cockroaches, scorpions, manties, and tarantulas, among many other species. Around 3000 dead specimens also on display. The Buttefly House comes to life in the Summer, when you can see hundreds of colors flying about. The Insectarium holds activities and displays all year round depending on the season, eg tagging and release of Monarch butterflies in summers. The gift shop contains all kinds of whacky ideas and freaky objects.

6. Laurentian Lanes: Location: 222 Montee de Liesse, St. Laurent. Telephone: 514-341-4525 Fax: 514-341-0243 Timings: Open 9am to 11pm. Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.laurentianlanes.com/

Popular bowling alley, with special "bumper bowling" section for small kids, and "cosmos bowling" for young adults and grown-ups, featuring music, fog, and creative lighting. Also has billiard, mini golf, and videogames. The venue can also be booked for birthday parties and family events.

7. Kidnasium: Location: 6263 Somerled Ave, Montreal. Telephone: 514 482-8659 Fax: 514 482-8659 Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.kidnasium.net/

A fitness and recreation center for kids. Contains a gym that provides scheduled classes, an indoor playground for kids of 6 months to 7 years, a boutique/gift shop, and specialized party servies for kids' birthdays. Also provides daycare services. Arranges camp activities from time to time.

8. Montreal Public Library: Email: [email protected] Website: http://www.mcl-bjm.ca/english/introduction.html

A not-for-profit organization that aims to increase the love for books among children. Contains large collections on various topics.

Locations: 1. Atwater: 1200 Atwater Avenue, Montréal. Telephone: (514) 931-2304 2. Jean-Rivard: 4121 42ième rue., Montréal. Telephone: (514) 276-7309 3. Richmond Square: 870 Richmond Square, Montréal. Telephone: (514) 931-6265 ext. 28

More places in Montreal

Keep exploring Montreal.

Explore all

montreal

Olympic Stadium

Stadium

A white elephant is burdensome possession which cannot be disposed of, and whose upkeep far outweighs its usefulness. Montreal’s Olympic Stadium is a perfect example of a white elephant. Construction began in 1973, and was not completed until 1987. It was barely opened in time for the Olympics, but the tower and retractable roof (which has never actually retracted) remained unfinished.

montreal

Montreal Biodome

zoo

The Montreal Biodome was originally built as a velodrome for the 1976 Summer Olympics. Along with its neighbor, the Olympic Stadium, the Biodome is a striking example of modern architecture. After the Olympics, the question arose of what to do with the now abandoned building. In 1988 renovations began and it opened to the public in 1992.

montreal

Chateau Ramezay Museum

Museum

The Château Ramezay Museum is contained in a historic chateau in Old Montreal. The building was built in 1705 and served as the residence of the governor of Montreal (Claude de Ramezay). During the American Revolutionary War, it briefly served as the Canadian headquarters of the Continental Army during the invasion of Canada. Afterwards it once again became the governor’s residence. In 1894 it was converted into a museum and portrait gallery. The collection has expanded since then, and now consists of more than 30,000 objects.

montreal

Montreal Science Centre

Building

At the nexus of science, technology, and entertainment, the Montreal Science Center is a great destination for families. There are seven permanent exhibitions and several temporary exhibitions. Science 26 offers 26 hands-on stations showcasing everyday science, one for each letter of the alphabet. Mission Gaia is all about sustainable development and the environment. Cargo provides an in-depth look into the goings on at a container port. There’s also an IMAX theater. The high-wire unicycle is a thrilling, but completely safe, ride fun for both older kids and adults.

montreal

Bonsecours Market

Market

The Bonsecours Market is located in one of Montreal’s most spectacular heritage buildings. The beautiful two-story neo-classical building features a large dome and briefly was home to Canada’s Parliament. Completed in 1847, it was home to Montreal’s main shopping center for more than a century. In 1963, it was briefly slated for destruction, but luckily the order was rescinded and instead the building was renovated to suit modern tastes.

montreal

Sir George-Étienne Cartier National Historic Site

Sight

This historic site is located in two in two early 19th century Victorian villas of the Cartier family. They have been renovated and now serve as a cultural and educational center. Known as the ‘Father of the Confederation’, George Cartier played an instrumental role in the independence of Canada. He helped bring Quebec into the confederation, and later served as one of the country’s first Prime Minster.

montreal

Pointe à Callière

Museum

The Pointe-à-Callière, or the Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History traces the history of Montreal. It opened on May 17, 1992, the 350th anniversary of Montreal’s founding, near the site of the original fur trading settlement. The museum is housed in six different buildings. The main building is the Éperon, an iconic modern building built atop and old crypt. The Ancienne-Douane building was Montreal’s first Customs House. The Youville Pumping Station, built in 1915, was the city’s first electric wastewater pumping station. Archaeological excavations are constantly underway on site.

montreal

Place Jacques-Cartier

Plaza

Named for the French explorer, this open plaza covers several blocks near the old port. It is a common gathering point in the city all year round. During the peak tourist season (summers), street performers flock to the Place Jacques-Cartier, and vendors and food kiosks line the streets. The terraces of the traditional Parisian style restaurants all around the plaza bulge with tourists eagerly awaiting their turn to try out the scrumptious French delicacies. During winter season the Place is covered with a beautiful blanket of snow which creates a romantic ambience.

montreal

Vieux Port

Port

Vieux Port, also known as the Quays of the Old Port of Montreal, is Montreal’s old port repurposed as an upscale waterfront promenade. The concept is certainly not unique to Montreal, but here it is executed particularly well. The old port dates back to the original trading post built in 1611. In the mid-twentieth century, it began to fall into disrepair as operations moved further east to the new Port of Montreal. In the 1990s it was redeveloped, and today attracts more than seven million visitors per year.

montreal

Notre Dame Basilica

Building

Notre Dame Basilica is one of Montreal’s most beautiful buildings. The parish housed in the church dates back to 1657, but by the start of the nineteenth century had outgrown its building. Notre Dame Basilica was built between 1824 and 1829, and was consecrated in 1828. It was designed by Irish-American architect James O’Donnell. A Protestant, O’Donnell converted to Catholicism on his deathbed in order to be buried in the church’s crypt. The basilica is a magnificent example of Gothic Revival architecture. At 60m, it was Montreal’s tallest building until 1928.