Free activities and things to do in Montreal.
Montreal is one of the most vibrant cities in the entire world. Almost 2 million Americans visit it per year. While it can be pricey (like many major cities) there are several ways to experience the sights and sounds of Montreal for free.
The cultural hub of Quebec, which is right across the US border, is known for its incredible food scene, beautiful nature, and tons of parties and events throughout the year. What's more, while it can sometimes be a relatively costly city, you can find many great cheap and free things to do in Montreal.
Whether you're living in Montreal, taking a long-term trip to the city, or even visiting for a short break, you don't need to empty your wallet to enjoy yourself. On the contrary, you can occupy yourself for weeks without having to spend too much. Here are several of the best cheap and free things to do in Montreal.
1. Enjoy The Sights From Mount Royal Park
Mount Royal (also known as Mont-Royal) is the large hill that looks over the whole of Montreal. It's impossible to miss Mount Royal, and you'll likely catch views of it wherever you go in the city, hence why the city is named Montreal. It's also one of the greatest free attractions in the entire city.
No visit to Montreal is complete without trekking to the peak of Mount Royal. It's especially beautiful at sunrise and sunset, but you'll get phenomenal views at any time of the day. What's more, the mountain is surrounded by an enormous park with plenty of trails for hiking, jogging, cycling, or dog walking. You could even take a picnic here and make a day of it.
2. Walk Through Old Montreal
Old Montreal is the historic center of the city. When you enter this district, you'll feel like you've walked into Europe. The architecture is incredible and you'll find plenty of Instagrammable spots and landmarks, small souvenir shops, and awesome markets to check out.
What's more, this part of the city is also home to many free historical landmarks that everyone should visit on a trip to Montreal. Montreal City Hall, Château Ramezay, and Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel are all worth visiting. But the best spot is Place d'Armes, which also features the world-famous Notre-Dame Basilica.
Visit the oldest market in all of North America, which is the Jean-Talon Market. It is open over 350 days per year and of course is free to visit. It not only has a European flair to it, but also sells many local foods, cuisines, snacks and gives visitors a great taste of Montreal.
3. Visit Parc Jean-Drapeau
Parc Jean-Drapeau is another astonishing part of Montreal that's completely free to visit and walk around. This park spans St Helen's Island and Notre Dame Island, and you can easily walk between both and check out all kinds of cool spots.
Not only is Parc Jean-Drapeau excellent for picnics, walking tours, and sightseeing, but you can also find many free things to do here. You can snap pictures outside the Biosphere, enjoy the free public pool, head to Jean-Dore Beach in the summer, and even catch free events. It's also close to Casino de Montreal and La Ronde if you don't mind spending some money.
4. Go Ice Skating
Montreal is an excellent place to visit during winter. Not only can you enjoy awesome winter events such as Igloofest and the various Christmas markets, but you can also enjoy free ice skating in one of the city's many public rinks.
Keep in mind that this isn't completely free. If you don't have a pair of ice skates, you'll need to rent some. However, you can rent ice skates for cheap at various rinks and enjoy ice skating for hours. You can find public rinks at Parc La Fontaine, Verdun's Willibrord Park, and Parc Jean-Drapeau.
5. Check Out Museums For Free
You'll also find a wealth of great museums throughout Montreal. Although some of these charge small admission fees, there are many that you can visit for free. Some museums are free throughout the year whereas some are free on certain days.
The best time to check out the city's museums is on the first Sunday of the month, where you can enter the Centre d'interprétation de l'eau, Cosmodome, the Musée d'art Contemporain de Montréal, the Ecomuseum, and various others for free. Other museums that are free throughout the year include the Redpath Museum, the Centre de design de l'UQAM, and Musée de Lachine.
6. Enjoy Free Festivals
Every year, Montreal hosts over a hundred festivals and events catering to all kinds of hobbies and backgrounds. Whether you're looking for a music festival, food festival, or cultural event, you're sure to find it here. What's more, many of these events are free to attend.
Comedy fans can enjoy yearly free shows at the Just For Laughs Festival and Montreal Fringe Festival. Free summer events include the Mural Festival, Festival TransAmériques, and Shakespeare in the Park. In the winter, there's the Fête des Neiges and the Montréal en Lumière Festival. These are just a few of the events you can attend either for cheap or free, but you'll also find parades, food fests, and more throughout the year.
7. Visit The Library And Cinémathèque
Another one of the best free things you can do in Montreal is to visit the local public library, also known as the BAnQ Grande Bibliothèque. Not only will you be wowed by the stunning architecture, but you can also browse a massive range of books as well as albums, films, and video games at their audio and visual stations.
In a similar vein, you should also take a visit to La Cinémathèque québécoise. This popular public institution is devoted to preserving cinematic history, and while some of its exhibitions have admission fees, you can browse a huge archive of films, scripts, books, photographs, and more artifacts of cinematic history for free.
8. Visit the churches and shrines
Regardless of your faith or religion, visit some of the churches, shrines, and places of faith. Many of them were built hundreds of years ago and are free to walk into and see the sights. You can see stained glass, get a feel of the culture, and look at the attention to detail that was used on many.
Some of the most scenic include the Saint Joseph's Oratory of Mount Royal, which is one of the most visited classic shrines in the world. It was build in 1904 and has similar characteristics to the Saint Peter's Basilica in Rome, with the ceilings being 300 feet plus in height. Another famous sight is the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel, which was built over 400 years ago.
9. Take A Free Walking Tour
Montreal is such a unique and diverse city where every neighborhood has something different to offer. You can spend days simply exploring each area. For instance, you might want to take in the views from the Old Port, experience the bars and clubs in the Gay Quarter, or take a food tour around La Plateau and Mile End.
If you're not sure where to start, you can also enlist the help of a free local guide. Various companies offer free walking tours of Montreal, such as Strawberry Tours and Free Montreal Tours, and Guru Walks. Whichever areas of the city you're interested in exploring, you can find a local guide to help.
Conclusion
It's hard to get bored of Montreal. Whether you visit for one weekend, one week, one month, or even decide to stay in this wondrous city for years, you can find tons of cheap and free things to do throughout the year. Whether you want to attend a summer festival, visit local museums and libraries for free, or simply enjoy the beautiful nature the city has to offer, you can do all of these things and more without burning a hole in your wallet.
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