Updated June 27, 2012
A good place to start is the official city site's portal page of all its activities for kids (available in French only).
Espace pour la vie
The Biodome, Botanical Gardens and Insectarium are all located around the Espace pour la vie (Space for life) in the Olympic Park and can be seen conveniently on a single visit. Consult the website for package deals on entrance fees. Adjacent to the Botanical Garden is Maisonneuve Park, a large green space with plenty of room for a picnic or just a pleasant walk (or cross-country-skiing and snowshoeing, in wintertime).
Botanical Gardens
This magnificent garden includes Chinese, Japanese and First Nations gardens, greenhouses, a touch garden with braille labels for the blind, alpine garden, arboretum and more. There are gardening areas for young people and day camp activities in summer. These activities are in French only and are ongoing, requiring registration – there isn't anything specifically for tourist children passing through.
In early spring, butterflies are set free to roam around inside the biggest greenhouse. In autumn, throughout September and October, the Chinese garden is lit with thousands of lanterns and is a very popular evening visit. Winter brings Christmas decor and choral concerts to the greenhouses.
4104 Sherbrooke East
Metro Pie-IX
514-872-1400
Schedule and rates vary throughout the year: basic adult access now costs $17.75 but there are other rates and deals available.
Biodôme
Four eco-zones: tropical forest, Laurentian forest, polar world and St. Lawrence marine ecosystem. Essentially, this is an indoor zoo, recently renovated with new interactive info-terminals.
4777 av. Pierre de Coubertin
Metro Viau
514-868-3000
9 a.m.-5 p.m. (summer closing 6 p.m.)
Rates vary and can include package deals with the Botanical Garden, Insectarium and Olympic tower, but the basic adult ticket is $17.75 and kids' tickets vary from free to $15.
If you're a Montreal resident you can get the Accès Montréal cardfor $8 yearly which offersu discounts on entry fees for these installations and many other local services and attractions.
Insectarium
A bug's world. Popular field trip for schools. The Insectarium has recently reopened after renovations.
4581 Sherbrooke East (inside the Botanical Garden)
Metro Viau or Pie-IX
514-872-1400
The Insectarium is inside the Botanical Garden and access is included with some Botanical Garden tickets.
Montreal Planetarium
The new Planetarium is under construction near the Olympic stadium and will open in 2013.
The Old Port
The Montreal Science Centre and the Labyrinth are located in the Quais of the Old Port, which has many other fun features like bicycle, quadricycle and inline skate rentals, urban beach (no water access), boat rides, the Amphi-Bus, an outdoor skating rink in winter (with ice skate rental), and ethnic and other festivals throughout the summer.
Montreal Science Centre
Science displays and IMAX cinema. Adult access to exhibits is $11.50 and it's less for kids and seniors – the website has the full price list and various deals.
King Edward Pier in the Old Port, at the foot of Saint-Laurent Blvd.
Metro Place d'Armes or bus 55 to its southern end of line
514-496-4724 or 1-877-496-4724
Parc Jean-Drapeau
Metro Jean-Drapeau
The Expo 67 islands in the St. Lawrence are the site of adult attractions like the Casino and auto racing on the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve – site of the Grand Prix du Canada in June – but they also contain acres of parkland, La Ronde, the Biosphere and a public beach. They're also the site of the annual winter Fête des neiges festival in January.
La Ronde
Big traditional amusement park now operated by Six Flags: games and rides, fireworks festival in June and July. Seasonal.
Metro Jean-Drapeau or bus 167
514-397-2000
Website has details on schedules and rates
Biosphere
Interactive exhibitions and multimedia presentations about water and ecosystems inside the geodesic dome on Île Sainte-Hélène.
160 chemin Tour-de-l'Île, Île Sainte-Hélène
Metro Jean-Drapeau
514-283-5000
Grande bibliothèque (big library)
The Grande bibliothèque on Berri has a spacious children's section (sound effects) below street level. There are spring break events and a summer day camp. Any resident of Quebec can join the library for free. Events are all in French.
475 de Maisonneuve E. at Berri
Metro Berri-UQÀM
514-873-1100
International Children's Film Festival
takes place from in March, to coincide with many students' spring break. Some films are in French and some in English.
Petits Bonheurs
is a May festival of live shows for kids, all in French.
Geordie Productions
English-language professional theatre for young audiences, both classics and new scripts staged regularly downtown for families and school groups. 514-845-9810.
Les Grands Explorateurs
Films accompanied by talks about exotic places and civilizations. In French only. Downtown Montreal events are held at the Salle Pierre-Mercure, 300 de Maisonneuve East, but shows are also held elsewhere in the Montreal area and throughout Quebec and New Brunswick.
Metro Berri-UQÀM
514-521-1002
See website for schedules and rates
Aquadôme and public swimming pools
Heated pools, diving boards and water slides
1411 rue Lapierre, Lasalle
Metro Angrignon, then bus 113
514-367-6450
Times and days vary, see website.
Municipal pools are listed by borough on the city site.
Croisières AML
1-800-563-4643
Tour boat company offers different kinds of river trips during the summer season.
Rafting Montreal
514-767-2230
1-800-324-RAFT
Rafting and jet-boating (minimum age 6) over the rapids of the St. Lawrence River. Summer only.
The West Island
Cap Saint-Jacques park, the Ecomuseum and the Morgan Arboretum are located fairly close together. Technically accessible by public transit, they're a long haul from downtown.
Insect repellent is recommended in mosquito season – i.e., late spring to midsummer.
Ecomuseum
The Ecomuseum is a private, non-profit, 11.3-hectare educational wildlife park where you can observe and study indigenous fauna and flora in their natural habitats.
21125 Chemin Ste-Marie, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue
514-457-9449
9 a.m. to 5 p.m every day except Christmas
Adults $15, seniors $12, ages 3-15 $9
Pets are not admitted.
Morgan Arboretum
Trees and wildlife. Cross-country skiing trails in season.
150 chemin des Pins, Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue
514-398-7811
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day
Adults $5, seniors $3, children $2.
Website has details on how to get there. Dogs restricted.
Cap Saint-Jacques Park
Beach in summer, cross-country ski trails in winter. Organic farm, lots of green space for hiking, cycle paths, two historic houses.
20,099 Gouin Blvd. West, Pierrefonds
Bus 68 (but unless you live in that direction, it's a long, long ride).
514-280-6871
A number of major parks are located in different parts of the Island of Montreal and all offer picnic spots, cycling, walking, cross-country skiing in season, nature observation, and various seasonal events scheduled throughout the year.
Īles de Boucherville
The closest provincial park to Montreal, the Īles de Boucherville are accessible via the L-H-Lafontaine tunnel by car, and by ferry from east-end Promenade Bellerive in summertime. They offer trails for walkers and cyclists through fields and woods and even a few farms.
Bell Amphitheatre
Has a year-round indoor skating rink which rents out skates and has various admission deals – see their website.
1000 de la Gauchetière WestMetro Bonaventure
514-395-0555
Go-Karting
Action500 is an indoor karting track in east-end Montreal that allows anyone over 3'6" (106 cm) to drive a kart, and allows shorter kids to ride with an adult. They also have a paintball area.
5592 Hochelaga
514-254-4244
Also in Laval at 2025 Autoroute 440
Both locations open 24/7
Kart-o-Mania is at the corner of Decarie and de la Savane. Their limit is 4'4" (132 cm) and/or 8 years old.
Hockey, soccer and football games
Our page on Montreal sports teams has information on how to get tickets for games. We also have a special page on the Canadiens hockey team.
La Récréathèque (site plays music)
Arcades, bumper cars, laser tag, billiards, indoor sports of all kinds. Particularly pitched at school groups and birthday parties.
900 Curé-Labelle, Laval
450-688-8880
Montreal marathon
The September event includes, besides the main race, a "p'tit marathon" of 1 km for younger kids and a 5 km run for students, and other shorter-length trials.
Museum activities for kids
Some of Montreal's museums have summer day camps, workshops and school outing possibilities for kids.
- The Musée d'art contemporain offers day camps and other events listed under their education section.
- The McCord Museum of Canadian History offers a day camps, family Sundays and parent-and-child activities.
- The Pointe-à-Callière museum has an education section listing day camp and other activities for kids.
- The Cosmodôme in Laval has a space-focused day camps for different age groups.
Out-of-town ideas
Exotarium reptile farm
846, Chemin Fresnière, Saint-Eustache
450-472-1827
Exporail Canadian railway museum
The Exporail railway museum in Saint-Constant on the south shore has a large collection of train-related exhibits and has special events throughout the year.
110, rue Saint-Pierre, Saint-Constant
450-632-2410
Upper Canada Village
Re-creation of Canadian homestead life in the 1860s.
13740 County Road 2, Morrisburg ON K0C 1X0
1-800-437-2233
Granby Zoo
A modest-sized zoo with more than a thousand species on display. Adjacent to it is the Amazoo water park.
1050, boul. David-Bouchard, Granby, QC
1-877-472- 6299
Cité de l'Énergie
Park presenting technology and technological history with emphasis on hydroelectric power stations. River cruises and other tours.
Shawinigan
1 866-900-2483
The Electrium
Hydro-Quebec's museum about electricity generation.
2001, boul. Michael-Faraday, Sainte-Julie
1-800-267-4558
Saint-Sauveur Water Park
Water slides galore.
350 rue Saint-Denis, Saint-Sauveur
450-227-4671
Super Aqua Club
Water slides, a beach, picnic areas.
322 Montée de la Baie, Pointe-Calumet
1-877-473-1013