City: Old Port of Montreal
Top Things to do in Old Port of Montreal
The 10 Best Museums in Old Port of Montreal, Canada
Montreal, c’est si bon! This French-speaking city is considered the cultural capital of Canada, and is a cosmopolitan celebration of Québécois style. A horse-drawn carriage ride around the cobblestone streets and grand buildings of Vieux-Montréal will give you a taste of European flavor. The Basilique Notre-Dame is a confection of stained glass, and the Plateau Mont-Royal district will delight you with its quaint boutiques and cafés. Dig in to a massive plate of poutine to fuel up for a tour of the epic Olympic Park.
Restaurants in Montreal
1. Pointe-a-Calliere, Montreal Archaeology and History Complex
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,943 reviews
Pointe-a-Calliere, the birthplace of Montreal and a National Historic Site, offers visitors the opportunity to explore history through an original underground circuit leading through archaeological excavations. At the start of their visit, an immersive multimedia show presents a high-speed view of the city's history, the remains come to life and the count down begins! The museum also offers year-round temporary local and international exhibitions. For Montreal's 375th anniversary in May 2017, Pointe-a-Calliere inaugurated a new pavilion highlighting Fort Ville-Marie.
Reviewed By brusso2017 - Union, United States
Wonderful way to spend several hours admiring the history and architecture of Montréal. Great exhibitions both permanent and temporary. Plenty of hands on fun stuff for kids and big kids ???? We loved the memory collector and the multi media show. Exploring the history while basically being emerged in the actual structures was very cool. Plenty of excellent sounds and sights and “ real life “ experiences! Very reasonable on the US dollar at the moment and even the Canada rates seemed fair
2. Galerie LeRoyer
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2 reviews
Established in old Montreal, Galerie LeRoyer has made its home in a historical Neo-Gothic building dating from 1887 which served as a textile and dry goods warehouse store until the late 1960s. Owner Brian Brisson founded his first gallery, Galerie Saint-Dizier, in 1995 at the age of 24. Galerie LeRoyer followed in 2000, also on Saint-Paul Street, and has subsequently expanded throughout the years. Over the last 20 years, Galerie LeRoyer has established itself as a well-recognized art destination in Montreal for paintings, sculptures and photographs by representing established and up-and-coming artists such as Marco Grassi, Barbara Cole, Stikki Peaches, Fidia Falaschetti, Jérôme Rochette, Lyle Owerko, and many others. Counting clients in North America and Europe, the gallery also showcases its artists in international fairs such as Aqua Art in Miami and Urban Art Fair in Paris to answer an ever-growing demand.
Reviewed By A7105GLalexandrah
I was showing my parents around the city and we walked into a couple of galleries in Old Port. This gallery particularly stood out to me. There are very original and beautiful pieces that paly with different moods, techniques, and mediums.
3. Musee Marguerite-Bourgeoys
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 59 reviews
Crowning an ancient promontory above the Saint Lawrence River, once a campsite favoured by the Native peoples, a 300-year-old chapel, a museum of history and an archaeological site invite you to hear what they have to say about the people who founded Montreal. Through the achievements of Marguerite Bourgeoys, a woman of courage and compassion who lived in 17th-century Montreal, you will find yourself transported back through time to another world, that of our ancestors.
4. Galerie Images Boreales
5. Cite d'Histoire et d'Archeologie de Montreal
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 30 reviews
Reviewed By retireeVancouver - Vancouver, Canada
The location was great for cruisers wanting to see an attraction near the cruise ship terminal as it is just across the road. The senior admission rate to this attraction is $20 - expensive, but it seems those are the prices now for museums. We spent about 1 1/2 hr at this attraction which is mostly underground - under one of the existing buildings on the street. The excavations at this location have revealed the stone foundations of a historical building owned by an insurance company and traces of the first settlement located here - the Fort Ville Marie. The exhibits pertaining to the first settlement in the early 1600s interested me the most. Of particular interest was seeing a diorama of the fort which showed the buildings and the land use around the fort and the archaeological excavations which showed the trench for the palisade which surrounded the fort. I may have missed this important exhibit had an employee not directed me to the see-through flooring under which I could see the first narrow trench dug for a palisade made from similar sized tree trunks, and, then, the second, wider trench dug to build a stronger palisade for the expanding settlement. In each trench the tree stumps had left circular shadows outlining their circumference. The bilingual information boards, often with a drawing or painting as an illustration, gave important information on this settlement. For example, there was a map showing the extent of the territory at the time of settlement of the 3 major Indian tribes (Algonquin, Iroquois, Hurons) and the subtribes belonging to each. Another board had a painting showing the interiors of an Iroquois longhouse. There also was a diorama showing what an Iroquois village made up of numerous longhouses would have looked like. Displays showed the artifacts found in the digs which included trade beads, metal objects, jugs. Even a cemetery had been excavated. The accompanying information board listed the deaths of the settlers starting from 1643 and the cause of death. The majority of the deaths were from Iroquois attacks. Another interesting display showed various city models of Montreal in different centuries. Visitors could see how the small settlement gradually expanded into a city around the first layout of the earlier village streets. The names of these streets are still used today and visitors can walk on them as they walk to other attractions in old Montreal. Children would find the section of the museum on pirates more to their liking. There is a pirate ship model on which kids can pretend to be the captain of the ship. This exhibit was interactive with a lot of questions on boards and even an opportunity to steer a ship using middle age navigational instruments. For adults, there was historical information on the 1600 pirates in Montreal. Don't miss the introductory 17 minute video presented on a large screen in a most comfortable theater setting close to the ticket counter. The bilingual video is listened to with audiophones. It explains Montreal's history from settlement days to present times. I preferred the portion of the video that was about the early settlement days - the buildings, the economy, the important people, important events. On a warm September day, there was no need for warm outer clothing - long sleeves or light jacket were OK for comfort. There are both stairs and elevators for use. The short walk through an old sewer tunnel which was used to connect displays could have been better lit. When we exited the attraction, we walked about a minute to see the obelisk monument on the Place Grand Paix erected in the honor of the first settlers in Montreal. Their names were inscribed on the bronze plate.
6. Montreal Science Centre
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 614 reviews
At the Montreal Science Centre, we want to help visitors of all ages acquire an understanding of science and technology for use in building their future. Located in the Old Port of Montreal.
Reviewed By olgamD1724KT - New York City, United States
This place is amazing dor kids. We were visiting from New York and only stayed in Montreal for one day - very cold day. So we decided to spend time indoors. Was there with two kids of 9. They were amazed by so many things, they absolutely loved the experience. I suggest to get a map or good understanding of how big this place is, so you won’t get stuck in one place for too long. We got to spend like two hours in the area of challenges and building, and then we realized there was so so much more to see, which we had a very little time left for. So we didn’t see it all. But what we saw and dis was amazing for kids. Highly recommend this place.
7. Arts Monaro
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 4 reviews
8. Galerie D'art Beauchamp
9. Musee du costume et du textile du Quebec
10. Musee Marc-Aurele Fortin
This museum displays the work of Marc-Aurèle Fortin, who painted the Quebec landscape with watercolors, and also includes a collection of temporary exhibits by other local painters.
