With kids · Montreal · Canada
Montreal with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Dllu, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
Montreal is friendly for families, with the Biodôme, the Science Centre, the Botanical Garden and La Ronde, flat cycling paths along the canal and river, and winter fun from skating rinks to snow slides. Not every metro station has a lift, so a light stroller helps. Top picks: Montreal Biodôme, Montreal Botanical Garden and Montreal Science Centre. Families usually base themselves in Downtown.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 8
- Best area for families
- Downtown
- Rainy-day options
- 3
- Busiest months
- July
Best things to do with kids
Zoo · Olympic Park
1.Montreal Biodôme
Inside the velodrome built for the 1976 Olympics, the Biodôme recreates four ecosystems of the Americas that visitors walk through: a tropical rainforest, a Laurentian maple forest, the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the sub-Antarctic islands, home to penguins.
Start in the tropical forest to warm up in winter; it is a reliable rainy-day choice with children.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
Garden · Olympic Park
2.Montreal Botanical Garden
Covering about 75 hectares, Montreal's botanical garden is one of the largest in the world, with traditional Chinese and Japanese gardens, a First Nations garden and exhibition greenhouses. In September and October the Gardens of Light fill the Chinese and Japanese gardens with glowing lanterns.
Combine it with the Insectarium and Biodôme on a Space for Life ticket, and book Gardens of Light evenings ahead.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Nature
- Kids
- Couples
- Outdoors
- After dark
Museum · Old Port
3.Montreal Science Centre
On King Edward Pier in the Old Port, the Montreal Science Centre has hands-on exhibitions on technology, the human body and engineering aimed at children and teenagers, plus an IMAX cinema.
Combine it with the Old Port promenade and the Clock Tower; it is a dependable plan for a wet afternoon.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
Waterfront · Old Montreal
4.Old Port
The Old Port's 2.5 km waterfront runs along the St. Lawrence from the Clock Tower to the entrance of the Lachine Canal, with promenades, the 60-metre Grande Roue Ferris wheel, a zip line, the Montreal Science Centre and summer festivals. In winter an outdoor skating rink opens by the water.
Rent a bike or quadricycle in summer, or skate the waterfront rink in winter.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Views
- After dark
Theme park · Parc Jean-Drapeau
5.La Ronde
Built for Expo 67 on Île Sainte-Hélène, La Ronde is Quebec's largest amusement park, with roller coasters and family rides, and it hosts the International Fireworks Competition over the river on summer evenings.
The park opens seasonally; buy tickets online and arrive at opening to ride the big coasters before queues build.
- Time needed
- Full day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Kids
- Active
- After dark
Waterfront · Saint-Henri
6.Lachine Canal
Opened in 1825 to bypass the river rapids, the 14.5 km Lachine Canal is now a linear park with a bike and walking path from the Old Port to Lachine. Kayaks and pedal boats can be rented on the water in summer, and the Art Deco Atwater Market sits beside the canal.
Rent a BIXI bike and ride from the Old Port to Atwater Market for lunch; the path is flat and car-free.
- Time needed
- 2–4 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Active
- Kids
- Food
Museum · Parc Jean-Drapeau
7.Biosphère and Parc Jean-Drapeau
Buckminster Fuller's 76-metre geodesic sphere, the United States pavilion at Expo 67, now houses an environment museum. It stands in Parc Jean-Drapeau on Île Sainte-Hélène, where trails, river views and the Formula 1 circuit, open to cyclists outside race periods, fill a half day.
Take the Yellow metro line to Jean-Drapeau station and walk across the island for views back to the downtown skyline.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Architecture
- Views
- Kids
- Outdoors
Market · Little Italy
8.Jean-Talon Market
Opened in 1933, Jean-Talon is an open-air market that trades all year, enclosed in winter, with Quebec farmers' produce, cheese counters, maple products, bakeries and food stalls. Late summer brings piles of corn, berries and tomatoes, and autumn brings apples and pumpkins.
Graze on samples and assemble a picnic, then walk through Little Italy for an espresso.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Food
- Shopping
- Free
- Kids
Rainy-day ideas
- Pointe-à-Callière — Start with the multimedia show on the city's history, then go below ground to the excavations.
- Montreal Biodôme — Start in the tropical forest to warm up in winter; it is a reliable rainy-day choice with children.
- Montreal Science Centre — Combine it with the Old Port promenade and the Clock Tower; it is a dependable plan for a wet afternoon.
Where families should stay
$$$ · Best for first-timers, shopping, families and culture
Downtown
Downtown stretches along Rue Sainte-Catherine and Boulevard René-Lévesque at the foot of Mount Royal, with department stores, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts on Sherbrooke Street, McGill University and, to the east, the festival plazas of the Quartier des Spectacles. Underground passages of the RÉSO link metro stations, malls and hotels in winter.
- Good
- Central for metro, shopping and festivals; Wide range of large hotels; Indoor connections in winter
- Watch out
- Busy, commercial streets; Less character than the Plateau or Old Montreal
- Nearby
- Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, Quartier des Spectacles, McGill University, Mount Royal Park
Family travel tips
- The Space for Life ticket covers the Biodôme, Insectarium, Botanical Garden and Planetarium, which sit close together near the Olympic Stadium.
- In winter, skate at the Old Port rink or Beaver Lake on Mount Royal, and try the snow slides at the Fête des neiges.
- The Clock Tower Beach in the Old Port has sand and parasols for play, though swimming is not allowed.
- Many restaurants have children's menus, and families eat dinner from about 6pm.
- Pack snow pants and waterproof boots for children in winter; they will want to play in the snow.
Day trips for families
- Mont-Tremblant (About 1.5–2 hours by car) — The Laurentians' best-known resort has a car-free village of colourful buildings at the foot of a major ski mountain, with gondola rides, hiking and lake beaches in summer and Mont-Tremblant National Park nearby.
- Ottawa (About 2 hours by train or car) — Canada's capital has the Gothic Revival buildings of Parliament Hill, the Rideau Canal, which becomes a skating rink in cold winters, the National Gallery and, across the river in Gatineau, the Canadian Museum of History.
When to go with children
The best months overall are June–October. July is the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Montreal good for kids?
Montreal is friendly for families, with the Biodôme, the Science Centre, the Botanical Garden and La Ronde, flat cycling paths along the canal and river, and winter fun from skating rinks to snow slides. Not every metro station has a lift, so a light stroller helps.
+What can kids do in Montreal?
Montreal Biodôme, Montreal Botanical Garden, Montreal Science Centre, Old Port and La Ronde.
+Where should families stay in Montreal?
Downtown: Shopping streets, museums and the Underground City.