City: Vieux-Montreal (Old Montreal)
Top Things to do in Vieux-Montreal (Old Montreal)
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Things to do in Montreal, Canada: The Best History Museums
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. Espace Culturel Ashukan
2. 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
3. Maison Historique George-Etienne Cartier
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 31 reviews
Former home of Sir George-Etienne Cartier, now a history museum.
4. 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.
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. Chateau Ramezay Historic Site and Museum of Montreal
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 596 reviews
Montreal’s portal to its past, the Chateau Ramezay was the first building in Quebec to be classified an historic monument. Chosen as one of the 1001 Historic Sites You Must See Before You Die, the Château invites you to relive more than 500 years of history, from the pre-contact Amerindian era to the 20th century.A not-to-be-missed heritage landmark in Old Montreal, the Château Ramezay holds fascinating collections, displayed in numerous exhibits, intermingled with multimedia portrayals of historical figures recounting, in six languages, highlights of their lives at the Château. Items in the museum shop reflect this legacy.Visit the Governor's Garden and experience delights typical of an urban garden in New France. In summer, a courtyard café overlooks the garden.
Reviewed By Bron-bird - Kitchener, Canada
This Museum is a treasure. The gardens are free to enter and delightful providing a glimpse of how people relied on plants 400 years ago. The house has thick stone walls providing a very cool atmosphere on a warm summer day. Child friendly.
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