Well worth a visit! Much to see from Egyptian to .... The underground exhibits are a bit confusing and so many placards say the same facts. Worth a 1+ hour visit. read more

Pointe-à-Callière - Museums Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

Super unique museum built right on the original ruins of Montreal! The history exhibits and colorful illustrations are great, but the interactive pirate ship room is an absolute must-see. Also, I didn't think it was possible, but their illuminated exhibit on the city sewer system is probably the coolest thing ever. Definitely worth a visit if you're in Canada! read more

April 4, 2024. Would you visit a museum of archeology and ancient ruins? Museum built on the ruins of the original settlement of Montreal, including excavation of the foundations, which I skipped over for the most part. We came to see the history of the city from the very beginning through paintings, drawings, colorful illustrations, and multimedia of the settlers meeting the native Indians, and conflicts through the ages. Covered not only the first nations, but the war between France and Britian over control of Quebec. The pirate room showed a hands on deck experience onboard a pirate ship, with cannons ready to fire, people strung up in punishment cages, and sailers fighting ontop of ship rigging. Didn't know there were pirates off the coast of Canada in 1600s and 1700s. I didn't think it was possible, but probably the most interesting lighted exhibit anywhere on a city sewer system. read more

See all

A surprisingly comprehensive museum detailing the founding and history of Montreal. I went on a Wednesday morning and there was no wait and not a large crowd minus the school students who were visiting for a field trip. I enjoyed going through the exhibitions put together which give an account of the French settlement of Montreal along with the French colonialists integrating with the First Nations to the eventual British occupations and modern day. Probably the exhibition that stirred the most intrigue from me was the knight chevalier since Americans don't have an equivalent period in their history. The gift shop carried a nice assortment of goods including wares made in Canada. read more

Had a free afternoon after work and was so excited to go to this museum that had not just the history of Montreal but a very fun exhibit on knights. There are some cool visuals and an area where you're basically walking over old ruins. It was very busy so make sure to be prepared for crowds and lots of walking but highly recommend read more

See all

The real reason for coming here is to hop in the elevator and head underground. We can look through a glass floor that sits on top of the remains of Fort Ville-Marie, which were unearthed during archaeological digs overseen by the museum from 2002 to 2015. The route through the city's history begins underground, where you can walk among the original stone-paved streets, drainage channels, and ground floors of 17th-century buildings. As you climb through the museum, the story unfolds in layers of history told through artifacts, maps, and exhibits. You can also follow the development of Montréal from its days as a fledgling colony and on up through the present day with a 17-minute multimedia program called "Generations MTL" that's projected onto the archeological site and narrated by six historical characters. it's near to famous Notre Dame Basilica Fee: Admission costs CA$27 (around $20 for adults) read more

See all

Great museum about the history of Montreal with cool special exhibits. They have multiple buildings that are easy to go between. I was borrowing a wheelchair and it was a bit of a challenge not usually using one or my wife pushing one so I did have to push it a bit myself to get through some of the ramps and elevators but it was well worth it. It was nice to see that there were some others with my last name and my wife's mother's maiden name using their computers whom resided in Montreal. The witchcraft and pirate exhibits were amazing. It was so cool to see a T-shirt of our favorite women's basketball team the Washington Mystics from back home featured in the witchcraft exhibit. read more

See all

This museum should be one of the first places you visit when in Montreal. It was so interesting to see the archeological dig in the basement. The side by side dioramas of how the city changed and grew. The history is laid out in a time line that is easy to follow. It is a very fun, family friendly visit. The pirate exhibit is a blast. I took the test, and I'm the cook. It's what I expected - I'm not very good with a sword. There was also an Egyptian exhibit during our visit which was very informative. The gift shop has a few of the expected items and several that were unexpected. The staff we interacted with from purchasing tickets to help within the exhibits were all very nice and spoke English in case you are concerned about that. Closed Mondays, they offer reduced rates for seniors, children and have a flat rate for a family of four. Check out the website for details. read more

Pointe-à-Callière - Part of the archeological history of Montreal display - Museums Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

See all

Visiting this museum without pre-order tickets is not worth it. Staff will tell you that after doing your one-hour line to buy tickets, you need to do an extra hour line to see the exhibition. If it's rainy, you get to spend time in the rain. The exhibits are good but not worth a 2-hour wait and then getting rushed out because the museum closes at 5. Also, it's not very well-curated. Not everything has a date, and things are poorly organized and unclear. I do not understand the hype for this museum. read more

This place was recommend by a friend. If you're interested in the history of Montreal- this is the place to come. It's an archeological site with a museum built over it to protect it. Artifacts and foundations and graves go back to the indigenous people of the area. The museum takes you through all of the eras Montreal has undergone. I didn't realize how multicultural it is here. People migrated here from everywhere and they have items related to each culture that settled here. There are videos that explain the different areas and what they were used for. It's fascinating. They say it can take 3-4 hours to visit. It took me a couple hours. If you come with kids, there are lots of interactive displays that they'll love- especially the pirate ship area! It could easily take 4 hours with kids who will want to try all the interactive stuff. There are some really cool things to see (and other things that aren't very exciting). There's something for everyone. I'm glad I came. It's worth a visit on your next trip to Montreal! read more

Pointe-à-Callière - Kids can try excavating a square of their own to see what they can find - Museums Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

With a subtitle identifying Pointe-à-Callière as a "museum of archeology and history" they're doing a disservice to people like me who think that sounds like a snooze. But actually, don't sleep on this one; it's a very enjoyable museum. I was told to begin at the Observation Deck so I obeyed and was rewarded with the most expeditious of viewing platforms. Here, stable little scopes are focused directly on each point of interest making it impossible to miss what they're intending for you to see (i.e.every point of interest along the waterfront). Next up was a full floor of past "favorite exhibits", a veritable greatest hits album, curated for unbridled delight. Then, off to the archeological remnants that they've dug up directly beneath you. My exploration of this area was greatly enhanced by tagging along with a guide-led school group. I recommend you follow my lead. Finally, a Pirate exhibit. Pirate exhibit? Clear the kids out of the area 'cause there's a whole lot of fun to be had here, from trying to stand on a "ship deck" to trying to put out fires and rebuild a town before the whole thing burns. I was mightily - too? - amused in this section and thankful that I landed here in the last hour of the day when many kids had already left. Don't be intimidated by the name; this museum has archeology and history but a whole lot more and all of it was both enjoyable and interesting. read more

This is honestly one of the most confusing museums I've ever been to. Even with the map, it was hard to figure out where to go to see each exhibit. The temporary exhibits on the upper floors were large but also underwhelming. The archaeological dig exhibits on the bottom floor were interesting, but confusing to navigate and definitely not mobility friendly. I feel like there is a lot of interesting items to show, but the way it's presented makes it difficult to access. Maybe it'd better with a tour guide than self-guided. read more

We had a great family visit here and nearly spend a full day and should've had the full day. So much to do and see and learn about settlers, indigenous people, history, pirates, old foundations. Very well done, interactive for adults and children and just interesting fun. In English and French and easily switched around. We loved it. One of the best history museum if not the best we've visited read more

After paying what equals about $27 in the United States, I left this building in tears. After I paid, there was no warning on the entry doors or at the desk, the sole elevator in this building is broken. After speaking with one of the staff it appeared at that time that there were things I could do as a disabled person. so I did not demand my money back. That was my mistake I should have immediately demanded my money back. There is a 17 minute entry video to the city of Montreal. About five or six stairs to get up to it, so I thought okay I can do about 5 or 6 stairs, and I sat in the first row so I didn't go up further stairs to get my seat. However, after the video ends you have to go upstairs to leave the auditorium because the main door is closed. And when you exit the auditorium you have to walk down two flights of stairs to attempt to exit. The downstairs exhibition of the sewers, it has wheelchair lifts but there is no key and there is no one there to help. I had tears down in the sewer. This is the most ableist NEW public building I have ever been in. This could not exist in the United States because of our accessibility laws (go USA). The designers of this museum did not take into consideration the needs of people with disabilities. It was clearly an afterthought. So in the subterranean exhibit I had more stairs to deal with. if you look at my photo, an elevator is not a small thing when you're discussing four stories. And it's not a free museum where you could overlook this. So if you have any type of needs, you're disabled or you have a stroller, call first because you will not be told there is no working elevator until you pay. This is a disgrace. read more

Pointe-à-Callière - this is building a, it's four stories, the elevator was broken - Museums Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

While in Montreal, we were disappointed that the Science Centre was closed one day due to a power outage. While looking around for something else to do with my kids, I noticed that the Montreal Museum of Archaeology and History was nearby. Although not exactly the first thing on the list usually to bring my young kids to, we decided to give it a try. As it turns out, it was a great decision. The museum has a pretty cool setup where you gradually go underground and underneath the street to see some actual archeological sites - initially I thought these were constructed replicas but no they were real. There are many different things to keep kids interested - dioramas, different tunnels and paths, and an amazing interactive pirate ship that entertained the kids for a long while. Would definitely recommend this to families with kids or just anyone in general. read more

Stumbled upon this museum by chance and happened to really like it! There are several exhibitions and a movie to wrap it up. My favorite were the underground tunnel that used to actually be a sewer. They made it look very cool despite the fact that it was once a sewer lol. Tip: Young people are considered under 30 and we have a special rate! Yay young people! read more

The museum itself was impressive, the tour guide was knowledgeable however when the group expressed an interest in a exhibit featuring a replica of a ship the guide commented rudely about how how we were out of time and would not enjoy the exhibit. After this our group was rushed out of the museum and told our time was up. The museum itself I would recommend however the tour guide soured the entire groups experience. read more

Pointe-à-Callière - A pottery exhibition - Museums Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

See all

This was one of two museums that I visited in Montreal. I chose this one because of the great reviews. The museum turned out to be very interesting and very unique too. The Pointe-à-Callière actually stands on top of archaeological dig sites that show off various periods from Montreal's past. You will see artifacts and the remains of the city from when the Native Americans inhabited the area and onward until the French and then the British ruled. The collection was very impressive. It is easy to see why this is the most visited history museum in the city. read more

THIS was the unexpected highlight for our 8-year-old during this vacation! (Consider the goal of our trip was to ski for a few days at Tremblant...). The pirate area is truly an interactive kids' fun area with at least an hour of fun. Bilingual staff made it no problem to feel welcomed. Very cool layout, much of the museum is spread out UNDER Montreal. I found this an adventure and this makes it unlike any other museum. Worth the price for sure. Not so much signage, and the layout is not intuitive, but embrace it, and you'll enjoy the story they have creatively woven in to this museum. Walk on a huge glass floor over a former fort! Walk through a sewer! read more

See all

This is a great museum. The main attraction is some Historic Foundations from Early Montreal & they have lots of artefacts which are well presented. You can learn a lot about Montreal's history here. The Pirates exhibition was fun even if it was aimed at kids. The Italians in Montreal exhibition was informative. read more

Reserve at least 3 hours for major exhibits, such as Egypt: Three Millenia on the Nile, which ran from Spring to Autumn. All members of the staff were calm and relaxed, smiling and inviting. Most artefacts were from the Turin Egyptian museum in Italy. Oriental music and rattlesnake noise set the mood, along with dimmed lights, and interactive quizzes and games to test your knowledge of this ancient civilization. This is the PAC's second ancient Egypt exhibit in only 4 years, hopefully this will be a recurring event, and who knows, possibly, the PAC will house a permanent exhibit in the future... read more

See all

You can easily spend the whole day here, walking around all the different exhibits. Do not use the electronic self checkout machines--they only sell one type of tickets (adults ages 34+), so you won't be able to buy anything else. Youth, 18-33, has a discounted ticket price, so take advantage and wait in line to talk to the sales associate and buy your tickets. We saw two exhibits in addition to the permanent one. We got lucky to stumble upon a hilarious tour guide who was explaining fun facts about the permanent exhibit. Definitely the highlight of our experience here. The exhibit of all weird and odd things was short and not as interesting as you would anticipate. Dinner is served exhibit was much better--a lot to see, read, and learn. Definitely allow a few hours for that one. read more

See all

My husband and I recently visited Montréal. Just by chance we went to Pointe-à-Callière on the first day. We found it extremely interesting and its presentation on the history of Montréal was very helpful and oriented us to the city which enriched our trip and other sites immensely! Great exhibits!!! We learned so much!! It's a treasure!! read more

If you love history and want an amazing tactile experience this is it. A wonderful history lesson with lots to see, beautiful modern museum - not the same old stuff behind glass. The intro is informative and the rest of the museum is self guided, which we liked because we could move through a little faster than others might, but well worth the time and money! read more

See all

I'm a sucker for a museum in a new city, especially when I hear one has an illuminated tunnel underground. I visited Pointe-a-Callière a few weeks ago while spending a few days in Montréal and I absolutely loved it. This museum is a decent size and took me about an hour and a half or so to get through start to finish (I was alone so it went by pretty quickly). The line was pretty large when I arrived and once I paid and was ready to go I chose to skip the group tour and just explore by myself. All of the exhibits are in both French and English so it's easy for everyone to understand, learn, and get through. I started out with the underground floor which features some super old foundations and what I was more excited for, the illuminated tunnel. The tunnel was absolutely amazing and full of flashing and glowing colours. The rest of the museum is full of different exhibits from native America art and history, a pirate ship with information for and activities for kids, and a ton of old Canadian history that was super interesting to learn. There was also a few more special exhibits that I've forgotten the name of, but my opinion stays the same, this was an incredible museum. Overall, everyone should take some time to come check this museum out. I learned a lot, enjoyed the tunnel, and even though they didn't have magnets for the actual museum (which is what I collect from my travels), I was able to pick up a nice Notre-Dame Basilica of Montreal magnet for my fridge at home. read more

See all

Definitely worth seeing! Did this on our last day on the recommendation of a local. So glad we did! Very interactive and modern in the presentations. A little difficult to find our way around but staff on hand to guide us. Great description of Montreal's history done in multimedia formats. Entertaining! Loved the extras such as the pirate exhibit! Egypt was the visiting exhibit and also well-done! Great job pulling it altogether. Highly recommend for adults and families. read more

We came here on a Saturday shortly after opening. The line to get in was quite long if you didn't order your tickets online. Guides at the desk were very helpful. Considering the line to get in, it wasn't overly crowded in the museum. It was very interesting some of the history. They even had some interactive exhibits that the kids would like. Definitely worth a visit. read more

This museum was great and I would definitely recommend it to anyone visiting Montreal with interest in learning about the city's history. The 18- minute beginning show was interesting and worth watching. If it is your first time visiting the museum, like it was for me, it is a must-see. Next, you head downstairs to the ruins that you see in the presentation. There you learn about the beginning of Montreal and native settlements. Subsequently, you move into the sewer area. There is a large sewer pipe to your left. It's your route to the next exhibit. In the room of your next exhibit, there is information about the early French settlements and you walk on glass over ruins. From there, you move back through the sewer pipe to exhibit D. If you have children, this exhibit will interest them. Under glass sections in the floor are intricate models of the city through the years. To interest adults, there are plaques on the wall. You can also walk through some ruins and listen to a show in either English or French about what the ruins are. Section E is only a pirate exhibit for kids as well as a lunchroom. We skipped it as my kids weren't interested but if you have children that are bored of the museum and want to play it should be fine. Exhibit F is mainly focused on the feature exhibit. An Egyptian exhibit was there when we visited and it was enriched with intriguing information. It was a great museum! read more

See all

Hey cool museum. We stumbled upon it by chance and are do glad we did. It's both fun and a learning opportunity at the same time. The exhibits walk through the original foundations of Montreal Ama how it eventually grew to be the city it is today. There was also a seasonal exhibit about pirates that was fun and had a few activities for the little ones. If you're visiting Montreal, would highly recommend spending a few hours here to admire the well-preserved artifacts of city's past. read more

See all

I almost spent a weekend in Montréal without a single museum visit. After stopping into here for a couple of hours, I am very glad I didn't. If you are a history buff, this museum is a must-visit when in Montréal. Excellent layout and fun for kids and adults alike. Old Montréal is, well, old. Walking to this museum, you pass through narrow streets lined with buildings that, in some cases, predate Canada being an independent nation. But step inside the museum and you see things that are even older. Across from the ticket counter is an excavated wall. The theater for the introduction film has screens suspended over a dig site. Get into the museum itself, located underground, and you're walking among ruins of buildings. You can walk through a former sewer and stand above the ruins of Fort Ville-Marie. You could easily spend hours examining all of the historical artifacts, with ruins often located where they were discovered. Signs are in both French and English, with interpretive displays for children spread throughout. History museums are generally a dime a dozen. Every little town seems to have one and most are not worth paying a cent to see. But this place? I was perfectly happy to pay the admission fee and would gladly do so again. If I didn't have other things I wanted to do, I would have spent all day here. read more

See all

Too often, tourist options = family-friendly tourist options = bored adults surrounded by screaming kids. Happily, Pointe-à-Callière, while family friendly, kept two 30-somethings without kids entertained and educated. Pointe-à-Callière tells the history of Montreal while also showing off the ruins from a historic site, which the museum is built on top of, as well as other artifacts from its first days. We had arrived just in time for the free English tour of the ruins, so we rushed downstairs to make it. Our guide talked to us about the Native Americans that once lived in the area and how the French and British tried to claim the land for themselves. My favorite parts were the five dioramas set up under the floor, visible through plexiglass tiles in the floor. The group of 10 or so of us collected around each, which were about 5-feet-by-5-feet, and each diorama showed a different time in the history of Montreal. But the best part was that each showed what had happened at the exact site that we were standing on. And behind us, you could see the ruins that corresponded with what we were seeing in miniature, such as the foundation of the wall that once housed an outdoor market. A red square on each diorama represented the spot were were standing on. And after the guided tour, we could walk around the ruins, which boasted other interactive elements. We unfortunately didn't have time for some of the other exhibits, but we did make our way up to the top of the tower to get a great view of Montreal and the river. We also watched the 20-minute video about Montreal in the theater behind the ticket booth. It was great that you wore headphones for the show, so that you could pick your language. The video was a bit (actually a lot) cheesy, but the highlight is the fact that it's shown above more ruins and uses some fun light show techniques. Other tips: * The museum takes a dollar off the ticket price for each degree under 0 degrees Celsius it reaches that day. * The free coach check is awesome. So nice to not have to lug our winter gear around the museum. * There are also lockers you can rent. Visiting Pointe-à-Callière put our trip to Montreal in perspective, and I left with a greater appreciation for this beautiful city! read more

See all

If you are visiting this wonderful city, you simply must make time to come to this museum - it is fantastic! What a wonderful experience! We honestly did not know much about the museum and came here on a bit of a whim as we walked by, but this was our family's favorite place during our trip! There's an introductory movie / media presentation that does a nice job of introducing the museum patrons to the rich history of Montréal and really sets the stage for the remainder of the tour, which is a fascinating tour through some local archaeology and how they were able to learn more about the First Peoples and early settlers of the region. We took our time to really take in all of the wonderful exhibits, that clearly took effort to design and maintain - all of which demonstrate an important aspect of the history and people of Montréal. The second part of the tour was the Egyptian exhibit, and I will admit that I was not expecting such a great exhibit from a museum whose primary objective is to raise awareness about the region's history, but in the end, it was a marvelous, meticulous experience, and I would definitely recommend it to any family who enjoys learning about different cultures and experiences. Overall, a true delight - should not be missed if you are in this absolutely marvelous city! Merci! read more

This is a museum based on the archeological site of Montreal which has been occupied for over 1,000 years and traces the history of "The First Peoples" (indigenous peoples) to the present day. It is also the place where the City of Montreal was founded. One of my favorite facts from the Exhibit was about the wood and bark replica model of the First Peoples Longhouses in which the matrilineal generations of families lived-makes sense-right? Lots of people to care for children and family! What is a Longhouse? "The basic house type of northern Iroquoian peoples such as the Huron and Iroquois, the longhouse sheltered a number of families related through the female line. It was established throughout the Iroquoian area by the 12th century." Source: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/longhouse/ While the museum was educational for adults; however, it is more geared towards children and adolescents with interactive and "hands-on" exhibits. If I went back to see it again-I would ask for a docent tour. The bottom floor (basement) is the actual archeological ruins of the structure with a cemetary and exhibits of artifacts on the history of the First Peoples and European Settlers. What I liked the most was the initial film that is maybe 15-20 minutes in duration located in an auditorium with the archeological structure of the ruins of the walled area of the city below. The film gave a pictoral overview of the history of Montreal which was helpful to understand the waves of people who lived and settled in the city. The earphones allow (I believe) over 7 languages (or more) to listen to the film. FYI-The artifacts from fish hooks, to arrowheads to beads were truly amazing to see in person-impressive that people had the skill set to make all of these things so long ago. read more

See all

Some areas of this museum are very special, especially the "Where Montreal Began" wing (accessed by the tunnel). See Pics. However, it's a shame that we found several things that got in the way of having a good experience at this museum. First problem was the reception staff. They were just rude. The theater, where the intro film is usually shown, was closed and we asked where we should start our visit. A staff member just pointed to the stairs and said, "go downstairs". No offer of intro, and more importantly, no map. This museum is not well laid out and not easy to navigate as to the different exhibits. There are wings all over the place and very limited signage and no logical progression between exhibits. You basically just stumble into the different areas and some would be easy to miss. So a map would be very helpful, I assume they have them, but perhaps the staff are hoarding them for some strange reason. As mentioned, the Where Montreal Began area is very impressive. The entire floor is glass so that you are walking over the excavation areas and the display cases are very well done. Note that some areas in the D wing are under renovation. read more

Pointe-à-Callière - Display case over glass floor - Museums Near Me - Montreal, Quebec

See all

This was a highlight of my recent trip to Montreal! Exceptionally cold weather forced my friend and me inside for the majority of our trip. It was too cold to stay outside for too long, so we found indoor activities between short spurts sightseeing outdoors. The archaeology museum is quite interesting, with a number of exhibits that range from Native American history of the region to an exhibity on the national Canadian pasttime: Hockey! The newer addition of the museum houses a sewer (which was actually really cool!) And the archaeological site which has been excavated. The interactive displays are beautiful and worth more time than we actually spent there. Overall, the museum was a positive surprise and I would highly recommend it to all visiting Montreal. There is even a cool kid-friendly zone so the kids wont be bored either. They can explore the life of a privateer aboard old-timey ships. read more

A great way to spend some time in the city while get a rich history of it at the same time. The museum is built right on top of a part of where Montreal was founded. Upon entering you watch a past to present audio visual of key points in Montreals history which runs about 10 minutes. From there you are welcome to explore about yourself or join in with a tour guide which I recommend. Going through just as with any museum, if it's your thing, you'll be fascinated to learn about how things were done, conflicts were settled and the people who were factors in the historical make up of the city. Lots to see, many of which are interact able and good for kids too. The museum can be complete in maybe a little over an hour, more of you're a history buff, take the tour and take pictures. The admission is slightly high but I'd say it's a good experience. read more

See all

Not very handicapped-accessible at all! Staff was nice and while there were some elevators, there are some exhibits I just could not get to. The staff's response was "well, there are plenty of interesting things nearby." Thats not acceptable. And not all doors were automatic. In this day and age, ALL museums (except perhaps castles) should be accessible to EVERYONE and automatic doors are the norm, except for here. read more

The museum is not what I thought it would be. I thought it would be general history and world wide collections of artifacts. It's more a "  History of Montréal museum. " But that's okay because I really enjoyed myself here! I left the Montréal Fine Arts Museums early in order to meet a friend at this location and walk around Old Montréal afterwards. Why the 3 stars if I enjoyed myself? Well because of the two women at the ticket counter, the one I had spoken to was talking down to me like I was an idiot. I asked about how to check in my coat and where to go. I am American, first time out of the country no less, and in a new museum!! She seemed very annoyed by my questions. And scoffed that I didn't read the directions on how to check my coat in. Is this not her job- to help people in the museum? She was also upset that I interrupted her casual conversation with a fellow attendant at the desk, in order to ask her a third question. This changed my experience completely- it seemed a strain for her to fake nice to me. Weird. I won't return. But I do recommend the museum experience for others at least once, to learn about how Montréal came to be. read more

This museum is beautiful. The design and actual layout of the museum by itself is flawless! Highly recommended for the price you pay . There's an interactive section for kids and it's 100% adult friendly as well. The staff is so friendly and knowledgeable read more

Tellement bien! On descend aux origines de la ville et on sort avec une nouvelle appréciation des forces et peuples responsables de la création de cette merveille qu'est Montréal! Et ce n'est pas tous les jours que l'on visite un musée où c'est le site qui fait le musée - on devient archéologue grâce à ce que les créateurs de cette expérience ont prévu pour nous. Merci de cette merveilleuse ouverture de l'histoire de la ville! read more