Fun things to do in
Montreal this summer

Not travelling abroad this summer? Be a stay-in-town tourist!

By Patricia Dumais

Updated May 2, 2024

It is often said that most people don’t know their city. They are eager to travel elsewhere but rarely take the time to discover what their own town has to offer in the way of attractions and activities. If you are not travelling abroad this summer why not take advantage of all that Montreal has to offer?

We are especially lucky because we happen to live in a popular tourist destination. There is a myriad of activities and attractions around town to keep the whole family entertained.

Activities

Voiles en Voiles
Place des vestiges, Old-Port of Montreal

Image: Courtesy Voiles en Voiles

For families looking to add some adventure to their summer, Voiles en Voiles in Old Montreal is a must-visit. Offering an array of activities from aerial courses and climbing walls to inflatable games, this pirate-themed park makes for an exhilarating day out. Dive into the 18th-century pirate and royal ship theme, where two grand ships serve as the centrepiece for boundless fun. Open from April to October.

Écorécréo
Jacques Cartier Warf, Old-Port of Montreal

Image: Mark Goebel – StockPholio.net

Écorécréo specializes in the rental of outdoor recreational equipment. The company operates at three major sites: the Old Port of Montréal, Parc Jean-Drapeau, and the Olympic Park. It offers rental services for quadricycles, pedal boats and marine excursions, Vanmoof bikes, HeroEco electric bikes, tandem and Onderwater tridem bikes, and Linus bikes for children, as well as guided Segway PT tours.

Montreal Botanical Garden
4101 Sherbrooke E

Image : Ally Griffin – Unsplash

An oasis in the middle of the city, the Montréal Botanical Garden is recognized as one of the largest and most beautiful in the world with its rich collection of over 22,000 plant species and cultivars, its Tree House, and some thirty thematic gardens. Its cultural gardens invite you to travel to places like China and Japan and experience First Nations culture through botanical traditions.

Montreal Insectarium
4581 Sherbrooke E

Image: Courtesy Insectarium de Montréal

Exit your cocoon and enter the fascinating world of the Montréal Insectarium, the largest museum devoted to insects in North America, with a collection of some 160,000 naturalized insect specimens and nearly 100 living species. Observe the leafcutter ants in action, listen to the unique sounds of the cicada, and enjoy distinguishing stick insects from leaves in their vivarium – these are but a few of the amazing insect encountered at the Insectarium.

Museums and Culture

Biôdome de Montréal
4777 Ave. Pierre-de Coubertin

Image: Mathieu Rivard – Biodôme de Montréal

Embark upon on an immersive and sensory journey through five ecosystems of the Americas: the Tropical Rainforest, Laurentian Maple Forest, the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and the Sub-Antarctic Islands, one of the two Subpolar regions featured in the complex. Science interpreters reveal secrets of this fascinating biodiversity of over 7,000 animals comprising 270 different species and 500 plant species.

The Biosphere
160 Tour-de-l’Isle, Saint-Hélène Island

Image: Courtesy of La Biosphère

Awaken the eco-citizen inside you! As a museum entirely devoted to the links between society and the environment, the Biosphère’s mission is to raise citizen awareness, action, and engagement on environmental issues in favour of the socio-ecological transition. This architectural masterpiece was designed by noted American architect Buckminster Fuller.

Maison Saint Gabriel
2146 Place Dublin

Image: abdallahh via StockPholio.net

Step back to the 17th century with a fascinating tour of a 300-year-old building that was the heart of the agricultural and educational life of the Congrégation of Notre Dame. Enjoy a unique experience with guides and original programming – open-air theatre, musical talks, historical workshops and demonstrations of old trades – all in an enchanting site graced with gardens.

McCord Museum
690 Sherbrooke W

Image: Courtesy Musée McCord

One of the most important historical museums in Canada, the McCord Museum celebrates Montréal life past and present – its people, its artisans, its communities, and its metropolitan area. The museum’s modern and immersive approach presents exciting exhibitions as well as educational and cultural activities and innovative Internet projects.

Montreal Museum of Fine Arts
1380 Sherbrooke W

Image: Andrea Wright – StockPholio.net

The MMFA’s exhibitions are renowned for a multidisciplinary approach that combines the fine arts with music, film, fashion, and design. The museum’s permanent collection features international art (including an impressive collection of Old Masters), world cultures, decorative arts and design, a sculpture garden, Québec and Canadian art, and a significant selection of Inuit art.

Musée Pointe-à-Callière
350 Place Royale

Image: PoYang_博仰 – StockPholio.net

Designated a national archaeological and historic site, Pointe-à-Callière presents centuries of history from the settlements of our Indigenous People to the present day. Located on a spot occupied by humans for more than a thousand years and on the very site where Montréal was founded, the Museum is home to some remarkable architectural ruins that are showcased on site. Pointe-à-Callière is the largest and most visited history museum in Montréal.

Planetarium Rio Tinto
4801 Ave. Pierre-de Coubertin

Image: Julien Cardin – Planetarium Rio Tinto

Live an unprecedented immersive experience of the Universe through two complementary shows in a LEED Platinum-certified building boldly designed with 360° domes on the cutting edge of technology. Enjoy a unique experience of the universe through its immersive theatres, where shows both poetic and scientific are presented.

Feature image: The Biosphère, Environment Museum • Mélanie Dusseault

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