Family Friendly Montreal tips

July 9, 2007 3:59 PM

Montreal in the summer, with kids... looking for family friendly stuff.

Aside from the planetarium, bio-dome and Imax, what sort of good things should to do with a couple of tweens for a few days in Montreal. Plans also include trips to the Oratory and probably Notre Dame.

What sort of stuff is there to do on Mont Royal during the summer? Aside from the nice hiking.
Restaurants or little, out of the way places that cater to families would be the sort of thing I'm looking for, as I've only been in the winter, and only for drinking and debauchery. Unfortunately, no ability in French.

posted by glip to travel & transportation (15 comments total)

How old are the kids?
posted by mdonley at 4:02 PM on July 9, 2007

Explore the Montreal underground, but don't get lost! It's big!
Walk along Ste-Catherine street, it's awesome! (It's the downtown area)

Everyone speaks english and we're nice to tourists, so don't worry!
posted by PowerCat at 4:11 PM on July 9, 2007

Piknic Electronik is very kid friendly! But only if you like listening to techno.
posted by mkb at 4:27 PM on July 9, 2007

I should mention that the Parc Jean-Drapeau is very nice for hiking and biking etc. even without the techno.
posted by mkb at 4:30 PM on July 9, 2007

Old Port (Near Notre-Dame). Nice to stroll around. Great on bikes (You can also continue on the Lachine canal bike path). Botanical garden and Insectarium (close to the Biodome). The Biosphere in Parc Jean Drapeau. For food, try Puca Puca (5400 St-Laurent, 933-6797. Peruvian, bring your own wine type of place). In fact walking up St-Laurent, let's say from Sherbrooke, is a nice stroll. Go all the way to Fairmount for freshly baked bagels. Try this for more suggestions.

If you like Indian/Pakistani food, checkout Jean-Talon Street between Parc and l'Acadie (Parc subway station). Definitely out of the way. Bombay Palace is a great place (on Jean-Talon, one corner east of l'Acadie).

I'll try to think of other things. Write to me (e-mail in profile) if you need more details or have questions.
posted by bluefrog at 5:07 PM on July 9, 2007

I'll second Parc Jean-Drapeau. There's a lot of interesting public art hidden here and there, and I enjoyed the abandoned Expo '67 sites. Kinda creepy and weird.

Also, I was told there are old grain silos on the south end, near Habitat 67. One has an outside microphone and speaker that let you hear your voice reverberated in the empty silo.

Chinatown would be fun (bubble tea!). The Palais des Congrès (convention center) is nearby. It sounds boring but is quite beautiful and quirky.

I believe the Body Worlds exhibit is still going on, too.
posted by lunalaguna at 5:16 PM on July 9, 2007

Not-winter will mean a lot more street performers. I also suggest a ride in a horse-drawn carriage in Old Montreal. Oh, and please hype your children up on maple sugar candy. They will be grateful :)
posted by RobotHeart at 5:26 PM on July 9, 2007

Depends on the age and personality of your kids, but Pointe-a-Calliere, the archeology/history museum, is rather neat-- the museum is built over the archeological ruins of a number of old buildings (and a sewage tunnel!) that you can climb around in and look at... there are some neat animated historical figures that you can interact with, as well.
posted by EmilyClimbs at 6:29 PM on July 9, 2007

La Ronde amusement park?
posted by MonkeySaltedNuts at 6:33 PM on July 9, 2007

Sunday afternoon, go to the Tam Tam: it's outdoors, cool and fun.
There are a lot of events during July and August, with free concerts in parks.
Great walk and lots of fun boutiques for everybody on Saint-Denis between Roy and Mont-Royal, then East on Mont-Royal. There are terrasses everywhere if you are thirsty.
On Saint-Laurent, Aux Vivres is a great (and affordable) vegan restaurant (and I am not vegan).
posted by bru at 6:41 PM on July 9, 2007

Here is one page of suggestions.
posted by zadcat at 7:28 PM on July 9, 2007

The Biodome is fantastic. My husband and I went there and were the only people without kids. We had a great time but the kids seemed to have even more fun. It's kind of like a cross between a zoo and a museum.

With little monkeys!
posted by miss tea at 5:21 AM on July 10, 2007

Huh, screwed up the link.

here
posted by miss tea at 5:21 AM on July 10, 2007

I am suprised nobody has mentioned St. Joseph's Oratory. It is on the northwest side of Mont Royal and, despite the fact that I am an atheist, one impressive building.

I'll second the Tam Tams (aka the Bongos) on Sunday afternoons near "The Angel" - a statue north of Duluth on the west side of Parc Ave. This is a great place for frisbee, soccer, or just sitting with a good book.
posted by mbatch at 12:57 PM on July 10, 2007

Couple notes to add to all the good info.

If you go to the Oratory try to plan to take in a Carillion concert before going inside.

The Tam Tam is a must do. Lots of atmosphere and it is free. Pack a lunch and just soak it in.

Depending on your mode of transport. If your tweens are into space, as you mentionned the Planetarium, just north of Montreal, in Laval, there is a thing called the Cosmodôme they often host school groups. They have a bunch of government funding and while I've never been there myself, reports from those who have, indicate it is well done. (Their website seems a bit weak on detail)

The botanical garden here is amazing, if you like gardens. The bonsai tree collection in the japanese garden is mind blowing. There is also an insectarium on the garden grounds. I give it all high marks.

An odd restaurant that might also appeal to the family adventure spirit of things and is very out of the way L’Auberge du Dragon Rouge. Their site is only in french as far as I can find. But their hours and contact info are easily understood :)
posted by phoque at 5:31 PM on July 10, 2007