History · Montreal · Canada
6 historic sites to see in Montreal
The places that tell the story of how the city came to be.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Hayden Soloviev, CC BY 4.0
Quick answer
Start with Old Montreal, Notre-Dame Basilica and Saint Joseph's Oratory. Together the 6 picks below take roughly 10–11 hours across 3 areas; 3 are free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 6
- Free entry
- 3
- Time to see them all
- 10–11 hours
- Areas
- Old Montreal, Côte-des-Neiges and Downtown
Historic sites in Montreal
Neighbourhood · Old Montreal
1.Old Montreal
Place Jacques-Cartier slopes down to the river past Nelson's Column and City Hall, and the silver dome of Bonsecours Market marks the waterfront.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Couples
Religious site · Old Montreal
2.Notre-Dame Basilica
In the evening, the AURA light-and-music show transforms the interior.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Architecture
- History
- Rainy day
- After dark
Religious site · Côte-des-Neiges
3.Saint Joseph's Oratory
It grew from the chapel of Brother André, a doorman credited with healings and canonised in 2010, and some pilgrims still climb the central staircase on their knees. The terrace gives a wide view over the west of the city.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- Views
- History
Museum · Old Montreal
4.Pointe-à-Callière
Built over the spot where Montreal was founded in 1642, this archaeology and history museum takes visitors underground through excavated foundations, the city's first Catholic cemetery and a restored 19th-century stone sewer collector.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
- Off the beaten path
Museum · Downtown
5.McCord Stewart Museum
Opposite McGill University on Sherbrooke Street, the McCord Stewart Museum tells the social history of Montreal and Quebec through costume and textiles, Indigenous objects and the Notman photographic archives, which document the city since the 19th century.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Art
Market · Old Montreal
6.Bonsecours Market
Today it houses Quebec design and craft boutiques and restaurants along Rue Saint-Paul.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- History
- Architecture
- Shopping
- Free
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Old Montreal | Old Montreal, Notre-Dame Basilica, Pointe-à-Callière and Bonsecours Market | Half a day + 1 hour + 2 hours + 1 hour |
| Côte-des-Neiges | Saint Joseph's Oratory | 1.5 hours |
| Downtown | McCord Stewart Museum | 1.5 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 6, 3 free, 3 mid-priced. Book ahead for Notre-Dame Basilica. The longest visit is Old Montreal; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- Notre-Dame Basilica: Book AURA show tickets online, especially for summer and holiday evenings.
How to fit them into 3 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Old Montreal): Old Montreal → Notre-Dame Basilica, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Old Montreal and Côte-des-Neiges): Pointe-à-Callière → Bonsecours Market → Saint Joseph's Oratory, at least 5 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Downtown): McCord Stewart Museum, at least 2 hours.
The quietest months for queues
- March: highs of 3°C (37°F), about 11 rainy days, very quiet crowds. Thaw and freeze alternate and streets are slushy, but the sugar shacks open and hotel prices stay low.
- November: highs of 6°C (43°F), about 12 rainy days, very quiet crowds. Grey, cold and quiet, with the first snow possible; one of the least expensive months for hotels.
- February: highs of -3°C (27°F), about 10 rainy days, quiet crowds. Still very cold, with the best skating and the biggest winter festivals of the year.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Old Montreal — Cobbled streets, grey-stone buildings and the Old Port waterfront
- Downtown — Shopping streets, museums and the Underground City
- Le Village and Quartier Latin — LGBTQ+ nightlife, student bars and the main metro interchange
- Griffintown and Saint-Henri — Lachine Canal lofts, Atwater Market and new restaurants
More of Montreal
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Montreal?
Old Montreal. Founded as Ville-Marie in 1642, Old Montreal keeps cobbled lanes, stone warehouses and grand bank buildings along Rue Saint-Paul and Rue Saint-Jacques.
+Which of these are free in Montreal?
Old Montreal, Saint Joseph's Oratory and Bonsecours Market.