Rainy Day Montreal
Museums, markets and covered streets
Montréal has plenty to do under a roof, and 48 places on this map are tagged for a wet day. The Montréal Museum of Fine Arts, Pointe-à-Callière, the McCord Stewart Museum and the Canadian Centre for Architecture are downtown and in Old Montréal, and the Underground City links several of the downtown ones to the Metro. Notre-Dame Basilica and Christ Church Cathedral are open to visitors, and the Jean-Talon and Atwater markets have indoor halls. In the east, the Biodôme, the Insectarium and the Botanical Garden's greenhouses are indoors too. Check each page for hours, since several places close on Mondays.
84 places
Year round When
The places
Church · Old Montréal Notre-Dame Basilica The main Catholic basilica of Old Montréal, facing Place d'Armes. The daytime visit is self-guided, with about 24 points of interest in the nave and panels in French and English.
Museum · Old Montréal Pointe-à-Callière Montréal's archaeology and history museum, built over the remains of the city's earliest settlement. The permanent and temporary exhibitions are covered by one ticket.
Market · Old Montréal Bonsecours Market A 19th-century domed market building on Rue Saint-Paul, now housing boutiques, exhibitions and restaurants. The shops are mainly Quebec design and craft.
Church · Old Montréal Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel A chapel on Rue Saint-Paul Est that's linked to the Marguerite Bourgeoys Museum next door. The guided visit covers the chapel, a stone vault, the tower and an archaeological site.
Museum · Old Montréal Château Ramezay A museum of Montréal and Quebec history on Notre-Dame Street East. It has a Governor's Garden at the back.
Museum · Old Montréal Montreal Science Centre A science and technology centre in the Old Port, with interactive exhibitions.
Landmark · Old Montréal Bota Bota A spa on a converted ferry moored in the Old Port, with a water circuit, massages and treatments. Access is reserved for people 18 and over.
Museum · Downtown and Quartier des spectacles Montreal Museum of Fine Arts Montréal's main art museum on Sherbrooke Street West, with permanent collections and temporary exhibitions. Admission is free for visitors aged 25 and under.
Church · Downtown and Quartier des spectacles Christ Church Cathedral An Anglican cathedral on Sainte-Catherine Street West. It's open for visits during the week and on Saturday, and holds services in English.
Church · Downtown and Quartier des spectacles Mary Queen of the World Cathedral The Catholic cathedral of Montréal, on Boulevard René-Lévesque Ouest. The diocese says it's open to the public daily outside of services, with a voluntary contribution appreciated.
Museum · Downtown and Quartier des spectacles McCord Stewart Museum A museum of Montréal and Quebec history, with permanent and temporary exhibitions. It's currently renovating, so check the museum's site for the way in.
Museum · Downtown and Quartier des spectacles Canadian Centre for Architecture An architecture museum and research centre on Rue Baile, with exhibitions and a garden. Winter hours run from October to May.
Museum · Downtown and Quartier des spectacles Redpath Museum A natural history museum on the McGill campus in a historic building. Admission is by voluntary contribution.
Landmark · Downtown and Quartier des spectacles Place des Arts Montréal's main performing arts complex, with concert halls including the Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier at 260 Boulevard De Maisonneuve Ouest. The Place-des-Arts Metro station is inside the complex.
Landmark · Downtown and Quartier des spectacles Underground City (RÉSO) A network of underground pedestrian walkways linking Metro stations, shopping centres and office towers downtown. Tourisme Montréal puts it at about 32 kilometres.
Food · Downtown and Quartier des spectacles Time Out Market Montréal A food hall inside Centre Eaton, with restaurant counters and bars.
Shopping · Chinatown Complexe Desjardins A downtown shopping and office complex with Metro access at Place-des-Arts and Place-d'Armes. It sits on the north-west edge of Chinatown.
Shopping · Mile End Librairie Drawn & Quarterly The Montréal bookstore of the comics publisher Drawn & Quarterly, on Rue Bernard Ouest. The publisher's headquarters isn't open to the public.
Shopping · Mile End Phonopolis A vinyl record shop at 207 Rue Bernard Ouest, one of the Mile End record stores on Rue Bernard Ouest.
Shopping · Mile End Sonorama A vinyl record shop at 260 Rue Bernard Ouest, one of the Mile End record stores on Rue Bernard Ouest.
Landmark · Mount Royal Mount Royal Chalet The park's welcome centre at the summit, a Beaux-Arts building with murals about Montréal's history under the French regime. It has a café, a souvenir shop and washrooms.
Church · Mount Royal Saint Joseph's Oratory A large shrine on the slope of Mount Royal with a basilica, crypt church, votive chapel and museum. Access to the Oratory is free for everyone.
Market · Little Italy and Jean-Talon Marché Jean-Talon A public market at the corner of Henri-Julien and Jean-Talon, open since May 1933. It has fruit and vegetable growers, butchers, bakers, fishmongers, grocers and food counters.
Shopping · Little Italy and Jean-Talon Le Marché des Saveurs du Québec A shop by Marché Jean-Talon selling Quebec food and drink. Its page lists more than 7,000 products from over 400 producers, including more than 225 cheeses, maple products and microbrewery beers.
Food · Little Italy and Jean-Talon Pasticceria Alati-Caserta An Italian bakery and pastry shop on Rue Dante that has operated since 1968. It makes cannoli and other Italian pastries, along with Sicilian pizza, olive bread and focaccia.
Landmark · The Village Grande Bibliothèque Quebec's main public library and national library, run by BAnQ on Boulevard De Maisonneuve Est. It holds the Espace Jeunes, the Pavillon music space and Le Square, a technology lab.
Landmark · The Village Archives nationales à Montréal (BAnQ Vieux-Montréal) The Montréal reading room of the Quebec national archives, at the western edge of the Village. It holds textual and photographic archives, and an iconography service takes requests by email.
Museum · Olympic Park and Hochelaga-Maisonneuve Biodôme A Space for Life museum on Avenue Pierre-De Coubertin beside the Olympic Stadium.
Museum · Olympic Park and Hochelaga-Maisonneuve Planétarium Rio Tinto Alcan A Space for Life planetarium with two theatres showing double features and an exhibition on the search for life in the universe. The ticket includes one double feature and the exhibition.
Museum · Olympic Park and Hochelaga-Maisonneuve Insectarium A Space for Life museum of insects beside the Botanical Garden. Visits are a one-way circuit through every gallery and take about 90 minutes.
Park · Olympic Park and Hochelaga-Maisonneuve Montreal Botanical Garden A Space for Life garden with themed gardens, greenhouses and an arboretum, including cultural gardens built by Chinese, Japanese and First Nations designers. In October its hours extend into the evening and Chinese lanterns light up the Chinese garden.
Market · Olympic Park and Hochelaga-Maisonneuve Marché Maisonneuve A public market at William David and Ontario with produce growers, a butcher, fishmonger, cheesemonger, florist and bakery. Saturdays from May to October add live music and a food area outside.
Museum · Olympic Park and Hochelaga-Maisonneuve Château Dufresne A museum in the former Dufresne family home on Avenue Jeanne-d'Arc, with exhibitions listed on the museum's site, including one on Maisonneuve in 1976.
Landmark · Olympic Park and Hochelaga-Maisonneuve Maison de la culture Maisonneuve A city cultural centre on Rue Ontario Est with a cabaret-style performance hall, an exhibition hall and a multi-purpose hall. It presents shows, exhibitions and films, and admission is free.
Museum · Parc Jean-Drapeau Biosphère A Space for Life museum on Île Sainte-Hélène, in Parc Jean-Drapeau.
Market · Griffintown and Little Burgundy Atwater Market A public market at the corner of Notre-Dame and Atwater, beside the Lachine Canal. The clock tower is the landmark, and the hall holds butchers, fishmongers, bakers and produce stalls.
Landmark · Griffintown and Little Burgundy Bell Centre The arena at 1909 Avenue des Canadiens-de-Montréal, which the official site calls the home of the Montréal Canadiens. It also hosts concerts.
Neighbourhood · Griffintown and Little Burgundy Notre-Dame Ouest antiques row Most of Montréal's antique shops sit along Rue Notre-Dame Ouest from Guy Street west toward Atwater Avenue, with a few more on Atwater itself.
Shopping · Saint-Henri Librairie Saint-Henri Books A local bookstore at 4622 Notre-Dame Ouest, with staff picks and tote bags.
Landmark · Verdun Auditorium de Verdun A restored arena beside the beach with two ice rinks, open skating, adult hockey and figure skating.
Museum · Verdun Maison Nivard-De Saint-Dizier A Verdun history house at 7244 Boulevard LaSalle with a 2026 to 2027 exhibit, Vestiges du passé, and online exhibits on the Auditorium and wartime Verdun.
Landmark · Westmount Westmount Conservatory A free municipal conservatory and greenhouse complex on Sherbrooke Ouest.
Landmark · Westmount Westmount Public Library The city's public library at the northwest corner of Westmount Park, next to Victoria Hall.
Landmark · Westmount Westmount Square A complex of three black steel-and-glass towers designed by Mies van der Rohe, at the corner of Wood Street, with a shopping concourse.
Shopping · Westmount Place Alexis Nihon A shopping centre at 1500 Atwater with direct metro access.
Landmark · Westmount Atwater Library and Computer Centre A community library and digital learning centre at 1200 Atwater that anyone can use without ID, with exhibitions, workshops and literary events.
Neighbourhood · Westmount Greene Avenue A Westmount street with red brick sidewalks and flowers, known for boutiques, art galleries, libraries and antique shops. It runs from Atwater Market area up to Sherbrooke.
Day trip · Quebec City Vieux-Québec (Old Quebec) The walled historic district of Quebec City, with the Fairmont Le Château Frontenac hotel, built by the Canadian Pacific Railway and opened in 1893, as its best-known building. The hotel stands on the Saint-Louis Forts and Châteaux archaeological site.
Museum · The Village Écomusée du fier monde A history museum about working-class life and local citizen groups in the Centre-Sud neighbourhood. Its exhibitions are housed in the former Généreux public bath, a 1920s building.
Museum · Old Montréal PHI Centre A contemporary art and immersive media centre spread over three buildings in Old Montréal, all within a five-minute walk of each other. PHI presents art exhibitions and events.
Nightlife · Downtown and Quartier des spectacles Le Gesù Theatre and concert venue with exhibition rooms, on rue De Bleury between rue Sainte-Catherine and boulevard René-Lévesque. The amphitheatre opened in 1865 beneath the Église du Gesù.
Nightlife · Downtown and Quartier des spectacles Club Soda Live music and club venue on boulevard Saint-Laurent, with rock, rap, electronic and festival shows on its calendar.
Nightlife · Downtown and Quartier des spectacles MTELUS Concert hall on rue Sainte-Catherine Est that hosts touring acts, with a calendar of shows through the fall.
Landmark · Westmount Victoria Hall Westmount's community centre, in a neo-Tudor building from 1925 that replaced the original after a 1924 fire. It holds an auditorium, a multi-purpose room and an art gallery.
Museum · Outremont Galerie d'Outremont The borough's main visual arts venue, showing professional exhibitions. It shares a building with the Bibliothèque Robert-Bourassa.
Landmark · Outremont Bibliothèque Robert-Bourassa Outremont's public library, in a modern building with a lot of natural light. The Galerie d'Outremont is in the same building and lends works for display on the library walls.
Landmark · Mile End Cinéma Moderne A small neighbourhood cinema between Laurier and Fairmount. It shows Québec, Canadian and international films, shorts and special events, and has a café-bar and terrace.
Landmark · Mile End Mordecai-Richler Library A public library in the former Church of the Ascension, built in 1910 and renamed in 2015 for the Montréal author. Besides books it has an art hive for free-access creative activities.
Landmark · Plateau Mont-Royal Plateau-Mont-Royal Library A public library across from Mont-Royal metro, in the former Saint-Basile boarding school. The collection runs past 80,000 documents.
Church · Mile End Église Saint-Enfant-Jésus du Mile-End A Catholic church facing Parc Lahaie, built in 1857 and 1858 to a design by Victor Bourgeau. The ornate neo-Baroque facade by Joseph Venne dates from 1898 to 1903. Ozias Leduc painted four canvases around the dome in 1917 to 1919, though the city's article says later restorations damaged his chapel decorations and a 1963 renovation stripped much of the interior.
Landmark · Verdun Quai 5160 Verdun's cultural centre, with exhibitions and a 300-seat theatre for music, dance, theatre and film.
Landmark · Olympic Park and Hochelaga-Maisonneuve Bain Morgan A public indoor pool on avenue Morgan in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve with free open-swim sessions, including adults-only periods.
Landmark · Olympic Park and Hochelaga-Maisonneuve Maisonneuve Library A branch library in the building that was Maisonneuve's city hall from 1912 to 1918. The singer La Bolduc died here in 1941, when it housed a University of Montréal radium institute.
Viewpoint · Quebec City Observatoire de la Capitale An indoor observation deck on the 31st floor of the Marie-Guyart building, billed as the highest view of Quebec City. It looks out in four directions and shows more than 400 years of the city's history.
Church · Quebec City Notre-Dame de Québec Basilica-Cathedral The parish church of Old Quebec, with a restored Casavant organ. The parish site lists daily opening hours and Mass times.
Museum · Quebec City Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec Quebec's national fine arts museum, on the edge of the Plains of Abraham. Its collection holds more than 42,500 works by more than 4,600 artists.
Museum · Eastern Townships Musée des beaux-arts de Sherbrooke The fine arts museum of Sherbrooke, the main city of the Eastern Townships. It shows rotating exhibitions.
Museum · Old Montréal Marguerite Bourgeoys Museum A museum and archaeological site beside Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel, covering more than 2,400 years of history. The belvedere above the chapel looks over the Old Port, the historic district and downtown.
Landmark · Old Montréal Montreal City Hall The seat of Montréal's municipal government, on Notre-Dame Street East. A museum area inside can be explored on your own during opening hours.
Church · Downtown and Quartier des spectacles St. George's Anglican Church A neo-Gothic church dating from 1870, designed by William Tutin Thomas, with a bell tower completed in 1894. The church describes its hammerbeam roof and stained glass windows as highlights of the interior.
Museum · Downtown and Quartier des spectacles Leonard & Bina Ellen Art Gallery Concordia University's art gallery, on the ground floor of the McConnell Library Building. It runs exhibitions, public programs and publications, and keeps a collection.
Landmark · Saint-Henri Bibliothèque Saint-Henri A public library in a former Asten Johnson factory in the middle of the neighbourhood, with a modern, playful interior.
Landmark · Griffintown and Little Burgundy Réjean-Ducharme Library A century-old library branch in Petite-Bourgogne, described by the city as the first French-language public library built in Canada and the oldest branch still in service in Montréal. It was renamed for the author Réjean Ducharme, who lived in the neighbourhood.
Church · Westmount Église Saint-Léon-de-Westmount A Catholic church built from 1901 to 1903 to designs by Georges-Alphonse Monette, and a national historic site. Guido Nincheri made its stained glass between 1930 and 1950 and painted the decor from 1933 to 1937.
Museum · Quebec City Musée de la civilisation A museum on the Old Quebec waterfront. The main entrance is on Rue Dalhousie, facing the river.
Church · Quebec City Chapelle du Séminaire A deconsecrated chapel blessed in 1900 after the earlier building burned in 1888. The walls and ceilings are painted on metal sheets to imitate wood and marble, and the Musée de la civilisation uses it for cultural events.
Landmark · Quebec City Saint-Louis Forts and Châteaux National Historic Site Archaeological remains of the Château Saint-Louis, the seat of French and British governors from 1620 to 1834, sit under the Dufferin Terrace beside the Château Frontenac. You can take a guided tour or follow an audio guide.
Museum · Quebec City Musée du Monastère des Augustines The museum of the Augustinian Sisters' monastery in Old Quebec. Its permanent exhibition, Resonances, looks at the sisters' legacy through a guided or self-guided visit.
Shopping · Quebec City Librairie Pantoute An independent bookshop founded in 1972, in the Rue Saint-Jean location since 1985. It carries more than 40,000 titles and has a second shop in Saint-Roch.
Landmark · Quebec City Bibliothèque Gabrielle-Roy A public library on Rue Saint-Joseph Est in Saint-Roch, with seating for 900. Artworks are placed on each floor.
Landmark · Plateau Mont-Royal Maison de la culture du Plateau-Mont-Royal A city-run arts centre with a 114-seat performance hall and an exhibition hall. It programs shows, films and visual arts exhibitions.
Shopping · Plateau Mont-Royal Librairie Le Port de tête An independent bookshop on Avenue du Mont-Royal since May 2007, selling new and used books. The shop at number 269 stocks literature, essays and sciences, and a second shop at number 222 stocks art, comics, romance and children's books.
Landmark · Plateau Mont-Royal Théâtre de Quat'Sous A French-language theatre that produces and presents new plays in a small, intimate room. It has run the Auditions générales for emerging performers since 1985.
Landmark · Little Italy and Jean-Talon Bibliothèque de La Petite-Patrie An art deco building from 1931 that was meant to hold a theatre, a police station and a fire station. It now houses the library and the Maison de la culture de Rosemont-La Petite-Patrie on the ground floor.
