Attractions

 • Old Montreal and the Old Port (Vieux-Montréal, Vieux-Port): South of rue Saint-Antoine between rue McGill and rue Berri (metro Champ-de-Mars or Place-d'Armes). Old Montreal's cobblestone streets lined with buildings dating from the 17th through 19th centuries make it a scenic and popular tourist attraction. Easiest to explore on foot, one may visit the Marché Bonsecours, the Notre Dame Basilica, several museums (Margeurite Bourgeois, Pointe ?Callière, George Étienne Cartier). Place Jacques Cartier is filled with street artists and musicians, and there are numerous fine restaurants and private art galleries nearby. An area devoted to tourists it is not the place to see the flavor of routine local life. The Old Port is a large waterfront green space with attractions such as Cirque du Soleil's home base, the Montreal Science Center, the Labyrithe, the Clock Tower, and a large outdoor audio-visual stage which is the site for the Canada Day fireworks. (English) (French)
 • St. Joseph's Oratory (Oratoire Saint-Joseph): 3800 chemin Queen Mary (metro Côte-des-Neiges). The largest church in Canada. A favorite pilgrimage for devotees of Brother André, who was reputed to have healed the sick and handicapped. Includes a remarkable collection of crutches and canes from the healed.
 • Basilique Notre-Dame: 116 rue Notre-Dame ouest (metro Place-d'Armes). Probably the city's most spectacular church.
 • Mary Queen of the World Cathedral (Cathédrale Marie-Reine-du-Monde): 1065, rue de la Cathédrale (metro Bonaventure). A 1/4 scale copy of St. Peter's in Rome.
 • Musée des Beaux-Arts/Montreal Museum of Fine Arts: 1380 rue Sherbrooke Ouest (metro Guy-Concordia). Free permanent exhibitions and many prominent traveling shows.
 • Biodôme: 4777 avenue Pierre-De Coubertin (metro Viau). The former Olympic Velodrome is now a showcase of different ecosystems.
 • Jardin Botanique: 4101 rue Sherbrooke Est (metro Pie-IX). Huge and stunning botanical garden, featuring numerous theme gardens. Admission is about $8, but after 5 PM the indoor section closes and the outdoor part is free until it closes at sundown. During winter only the indoor greenhouses are open to visitors.
 • Olympic Stadium: 4141, avenue Pierre de Coubertin (metro Pie-IX), 877-997-0919. 9AM-5PM every day. Created for the 1976 Montreal Olympics, this amazing and controversial building's tower (from which the roof is suspended) is the world's tallest leaning structure. No major pieces have fallen off in the last ten years. You can take a cable car to the top of the Montreal Tower for an incredible view of the city.
 • Parc Jean-Drapeau: metro Jean-Drapeau. Part of the site of the 1967 World's Fair, now devoted to green space and a large outdoor concert venue.
 • Habitat 67, 2600 avenue Pierre-Dupuy (take Chemin du Moulins exit from Hwy 10 south), 514-866-5971. This visually striking residential building was created by architect Moshe Safdie for Expo 67. The result was an amazingly modern dwelling that challenged the way architects created urban homes. Compared alternately to a beehive, a Taos pueblo, and a crystalline growth, the complex's 154 units are composed of prefabricated concrete cubes assembled on site. The apartments here are highly prized and a number of prominent Montrealers make Habitat 67 their home.
 • Montreal Insectarium, 4581 rue Sherbrooke Est (metro Pie-IX or Viau), (514) 872-1400. 9 AM to 5 PM every day usually. The Insectarium is a museum of sorts centered on the insect world. A few living specimens and many displays are always occasional, with occasional special exhibits, often offering visitors the opportunity to eat various insect-based dishes from around the world. The Insectarium is attached to the Botanical Gardens and the same ticket purchases entry to both.
 • Montreal Planetarium, 1000 rue St-Jacques Ouest, between Peel and de la Cathédrale (metro Bonaventure), (514) 872-4530. Rates and schedule may vary. See the website for information on rates and shows: .
 • The Montreal Metro, in addition to being a good way to get around, is worth seeing in its own right. Each station was constructed in a unique architectural style.