190 Best Sights in Quebec, Canada

Not only does this tourist information center house various objects and photographs that trace Havre St. Pierre history, the building itself is a significant landmark. Built in 1943, it served as a general store named Labrador Stores. The center, right on the waterfront, also provides a slide show that tells more local stories.

You can learn more about the whales and their habitat at this interpretation center run by a locally based research team. They're only too glad to answer questions. In addition, explanatory videos and exhibits (including a collection of whale skeletons) serve as a good introduction to the mighty but endangered cetaceans.

You—or more likely, your kids—can design an energy-efficient bike, create a television news report, explore the impact that manufacturing one T-shirt has on the environment, find out what it's like to ride a unicycle 20 feet above the ground, create an animated film, or just watch an IMAX movie on a giant screen at Montréal's interactive science center. Games, puzzles, and hands-on experiments make it an ideal place for rainy days or even fair ones. The center has a cafe/bistro serving coffee, pastries and light meals and a lunch room where visitors can eat food they brought with them, though there are no microwaves.

Currently housed in three heritage buildings, all within minutes of each other, this nonprofit organization aims to showcase compelling contemporary art from around the world. The foundation presents two to three major exhibitions a year in addition to a series of public events, special collaborative projects, and a forward-thinking education program. A free app takes you through the exhibits, and podcasts provide a fascinating look at the artists themselves. Check the website or call before you visit as the Fondation PHI closes regularly for installations. PHI is to have a new space in 2028, called PHI Contemporain, consolidating the PHI Foundation and the PHI Centre under one roof.

No trip to Montréal is complete without a visit to the terrace in front of the Chalet du Mont-Royal. It's not the only place to get an overview of the city, the river, and the countryside beyond, but it's the most spectacular. On clear days you can see not only the Downtown skyscrapers, but also Mont-Royal's sister mountains—Monts St-Bruno, St-Hilaire, and St-Grégoire. These isolated peaks, called the Montérégies, or Mountains of the King, rise up from the flat countryside. Be sure to take a look inside the chalet, especially at the murals depicting scenes from Canadian history.

Across from Basilique Ste-Anne-de-Beaupré, this chapel was designed by Claude Bailiff and built in 1878. It was constructed on the transept of a church built in 1676, and Bailiff made use of the old stones and foundation. Among the remnants is a white-and-gold-trimmed pulpit designed by François Baillargé in 1807 and adorned with a sculpture depicting Moses and the 10 Commandments.

Scala Santa, a smaller chapel next to this one, resembles a wedding cake. On bended knees, pilgrims climb its replica of the Holy Stairs, representing the steps Jesus climbed to meet Pontius Pilate.

Mariners have been popping into Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours for centuries to kneel before a little 17th-century statue of the Virgin Mary and pray for a safe passage—or give thanks for one. Often, they've expressed their gratitude by leaving votive lamps in the shape of small ships, many of which still hang from the barrel-vaulted ceiling. This is why most Montrealers call the chapel the Église des Matelots (the Sailors' Church), and why some people still stop by to say a prayer and light a candle before leaving on a long trip.

These days, the statue of Our Lady of Perpetual Help guards the remains of St. Marguerite Bourgeoys, who had the original chapel built in 1657 and is entombed in the side altar next to the east wall of the chapel. The current chapel dates from 1771; a renovation project in 1998 revealed some beautiful 18th-century murals that had been hidden under layers of paint.

The 69-step climb to the top of the steeple is worth the effort for the glorious view of the angels overlooking the harbor as is the steep climb down to the archaeological excavations under the chapel for a glimpse into the history of the chapel and the neighborhood. The dig is accessible through the adjacent Musée Marguerite Bourgeoys, which also has exhibits on the life of St. Marguerite and the daily lives of the colonists she served.

Artist and architect Napoléon Bourassa called his work here l'oeuvre de mes amours, or a labor of love—and it shows. He designed the little Byzantine-style building himself and set about decorating it with the exuberance of an eight-year-old making a Mother's Day card. He covered the walls with murals and encrusted the altar and pillars with gilt and ornamental carving. It's not Montréal's biggest monument to the Virgin Mary, but it's the most unabashedly sentimental.

The adjoining homes of a pair of shoe manufacturers, brothers Oscar and Marius Dufresne, provide a glimpse into the lives of Montréal's francophone bourgeoisie in the early 20th century. The brothers built their Beaux Arts palace in 1916 along the lines of the Petit-Trianon in Paris, and lived in it with their families—Oscar in the eastern half and Marius in the western half.

Worth searching out are the domestic scenes on the walls of the Petit Salon, where Oscar's wife entertained friends. Her brother-in-law relaxed with his friends in a smoking room decked out like a Turkish lounge. During the house's incarnation as a boys' school in the 1950s, the Eudist priests who ran it covered the room's frieze of nymphs and satyrs with a modest curtain that their charges lifted at every opportunity.

These days, kids and families are encouraged to play "Flair et Luminaires," a detective game activity in which participants are given clues to solve five mysteries within the château. Guided tours in English are available on Sat. and Sun.

If you look up at the cupola behind the main altar of Little Italy's most famous church, you'll spot Montréal's most infamous piece of ecclesiastical portraiture. Yes, indeed, that lantern-jaw fellow on horseback who looks so pleased with himself is Benito Mussolini, the dictator who led Italy into World War II—on the wrong side. The mural, by Guido Nincheri (1885–1973), was completed long before the war and commemorates the signing of the Lateran Pact with Pope Pius XI, one of Il Duce's few lasting achievements. The controversy shouldn't distract you from the beauties of the rest of the richly decorated church.

Montréal's largest Presbyterian church—sometimes affectionately called the A&P—is worth a visit, if only to see the glorious stained-glass window of the risen Christ that dominates the sanctuary behind the white-stone communion table. It's a memorial to members of the Royal Highland Regiment of Canada (the Black Watch) who were killed in World War I.

The river cascading over a cliff into the St. Lawrence River is one of the most beautiful sights in the province—and at 27 stories high, the falls are almost double the height of Niagara's. The Montmorency River was named for Charles de Montmorency, viceroy of New France in the 1620s and explorer Samuel de Champlain's immediate commander. A cable car runs to the top of the falls in Parc de la Chute-Montmorency (Montmorency Falls Park) from late April to late October. During very cold weather the falls' heavy spray freezes and forms a giant loaf-shaped ice cone known to the Quebecois as the Pain du Sucre (Sugarloaf); this phenomenon attracts sledders and sliders from Québec City. Summer activities include three via ferrata trails built onto the cliff, as well as a zip line that shoots across the canyon in front of the falls.

The park also has a history. The British general James Wolfe, on his way to conquer New France, camped here in 1759. In 1780, Sir Frederick Haldimand, then the governor of Canada, built a summer home atop the cliff. The structure burned down in 1993, however, and what stands today, Manoir Montmorency, is a re-creation. Offering a stunning view of the falls and river below, it's open year-round, with a restaurant and terrace open in summertime.

At 343 acres, Canada's largest cemetery is not much smaller than the neighboring Parc du Mont-Royal, and, as long as you just count the living, it's usually a lot less crowded. You don't have to be morbid to wander the graveyard's 55 km (34 miles) of tree-shaded paths and roadways past the tombs of hundreds of prominent artists, poets, intellectuals, politicians, and clerics. Among them is Calixa Lavallée (1842–91), who wrote "O Canada," the country's national anthem.  The cemetery offers some guided tours in summer. Phone ahead for details.

Located in nearby Lac-Brome, Domaine ValBrome is a boutique vineyard producing a variety of wines and ciders, including rosé, Chardonnay, Pinot noir, and sparkling rosé, plus apple and pear ciders. Tastings are available at the boutique Friday to Sunday, 11 am–5 pm, with group tours (8+ people) offered by reservation. Visitors can enjoy tastings on the terrace or picnic in the gardens (bring your own food).

Styled after the Empire State Building, this 17-story Art Deco structure was the city's first skyscraper when it was built in 1929. It served as headquarters of the Price Brothers Company, a lumber firm founded by Sir William Price, and today is an official residence of the premier of Québec, who uses the top two floors.

A bit off the beaten tourist path, the oldest church on the island, the Church of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is found in Montréal North. It's not a must-see, but it is worth the trek if you have time and don't mind a little walking through some rather ordinary neighborhoods. The church had its stone walls raised in the 1750s, and the beautifully proportioned Palladian front was added in 1850. Ornamentation  lasted from 1764 until 1837, with stunning results. The altar and the pulpit are as elaborate as wedding cakes but still delicate. The church's most notable treasure is a rendering of the Visitation attributed to Pierre Mignard, a painter at the 17th-century court of Louis XIV. Parkland surrounds the church, and the nearby Îles de la Visitation (reachable by footbridge) make for a very good walk.

Built in 1734, St-François is one of eight extant churches in Québec dating from the French regime. At the time the English seized Québec City in 1759, General James Wolfe knew St-François to be a strategic point along the St. Lawrence. Consequently, he stationed British troops here and used the church as a military hospital. In 1988, a car crash set the church on fire, and most of the interior treasures were lost. A separate children's cemetery stands as a silent witness to the difficult life of early residents.

At the eastern end of the village sits a massive granite structure built in 1749, with large red doors and a towering steeple. The church resembles a ship; it's big, round, and appears to be sitting right on the river. Paintings of the patron saints of seamen line the interior walls. The church's cemetery is also intriguing, especially if you can read French. Back in the 1700s, piloting the St. Lawrence was a dangerous profession; the cemetery tombstones recall the many lives lost in these harsh waters.

The tall, inspiring church that stands next to the village marina on chemin Royal was built in 1860 on the site of an 18th-century church that had to be torn down. One of the church's procession chapels is a miniature stone reproduction of the original.

The oldest church on the island dates from 1717. It's no longer used for worship, but it was restored during the 1960s and is open to visitors. Many original components are still intact, such as benches with compartments below where hot bricks and stones were placed to keep people warm in winter. Félix Leclerc, the first Quebecois singer-songwriter to make a mark in Europe, is buried in the cemetery nearby.

The Church of St. Peter the Apostle, built in the Gothic Revival style between 1851 and 1853, is home to the Chapel of Hope, a symbol of unconditional love. Dedicated to the victims of AIDS, it is the only chapel in the world to pay tribute to those who suffered and died from the fatal illness.

This impressive church, constructed in 1749, is the only one in Québec to have three bell towers at its front. The ceiling was redone in the mid-19th century with elaborate designs in wood and gold. The church also holds a famous painting, L'Enfant Jésus Voyant la Croix (Baby Jesus Looking at the Cross); it was done in 1670 by Frère Luc (Brother Luc), who had been sent from France to decorate churches in the area.

You can rattle around Canada's largest railroad museum in a vintage tram specially built for Montréal sightseeing tours in the 1950s, when the city still had a streetcar system. The museum has more than 120 train cars and locomotives, but if you're a steam buff, you won't want to miss CPR 5935, the largest steam locomotive built in Canada, and CNR 4100, the most powerful in the British Empire when it was built in 1924. To see how the rich and powerful traveled, take a look at Sir William Van Horne's luxurious private car. Of special interest to the kids will be the car that served as a mobile classroom. The museum is south of the city in the town of St-Constant. On weekdays Expo runs commuter trains from the Gare Lucien-l'Allier, next to the Centre Bell, to Candiac/St. Constant. Trains depart at 9:35 am and return at 1:27 pm.

Thick stone walls stretch along 5 km (3 miles), connected by four gates—St-Jean, St-Louis, Kent, and the more modern Prescott—and adjoined by forts, bastions, and even a citadel. With such a special and unique landmark, it's not difficult to understand why the Historic District of Old Québec is a UNESCO World Heritage site. These nearly intact ramparts, virtually the only ones of their kind in North America, recall the complex history of the French and British regimes in Québec City. French colonists began building ramparts along the city's cliffs as early as 1690 to protect themselves from the British, but they had trouble convincing the French government to take the threat of invasion seriously. And when the British did invade in 1759, the walls were unsurprisingly still incomplete. The British, despite attacks by the Americans during the American Revolution and the War of 1812, took over a century to finish them—and they never saw armed conflict.

From June to September, Parks Canada offers two distinct guided tours of Québec City's fortifications, each led by a knowledgeable history guide. The first is a two-hour tour, departing from the Frontenac Kiosk on Dufferin Terrace. This experience leads participants along the fortification walls and into a soldier's casemate—an area exclusively accessible on this tour—while sharing fascinating historical tidbits about the city. The second tour is entirely within Artillery Park, one of the oldest military compounds in the Americas, dating back to 1712. This experience focuses on the social and architectural heritage of the ramparts building, which has housed French, British, and Canadian soldiers throughout history.

Located in the waterfront park at the end of the Lachine Canal, on the shores of Lac St-Louis, this early 19th-century stone warehouse has been converted into a museum that commemorates the industry that dominated Canada's early history.

Blanc is an open-air art gallery whose mission is to bring the general public closer to art. Open 24/7, rain, snow, or shine, exhibitions showcase the work of different artists and change regularly. The gallery is open to anyone and there is no admission fee. It's located on rue Ste-Catherine E. between rue Wolfe and rue Atateken.

This massive park—nearly 364 square km (140 square miles)—brings nature lovers from all over throughout the year. You can hike up King Mountain on a challenging trail that takes you 300 meters (980 feet) above the Ottawa Valley, explore Lusk Cave, go camping, view the Luskville Falls, or swim at one of the six beaches here (there are also 50 lakes). In winter, the cross-country skiing trails cover approximately 200 km (125 miles) of the park. From June to mid-October, you can use the park's south entrance on Taché Boulevard; stop at the reception center for visitor information.

One of the city's oldest streets, the Grande Allée was the route people took from outlying areas to come sell their furs in town. In the 19th century, the wealthy built neo-Gothic and Queen Anne–style mansions here, which now house trendy cafés, clubs, and restaurants. The street actually has four names: inside the city walls it's rue St-Louis; outside the walls, Grande Allée Est; farther west, Grande Allée Ouest; then finally, boulevard Laurier.

If you want to get a firsthand look at how the well-to-do English residents of Québec City lived in a bygone era, this is the place. Built in 1849 by the wife of wealthy businessman William Henry, the Regency-style cottage was bought in 1918 by the sisters Adèle and Mary Stuart. Active in such philanthropic organizations as the Red Cross and the Historical and Literary Society, the sisters were pillars of Québec City's English-speaking community. They also maintained an English-style garden behind the house. The home has since been classified a historic site for its immaculate physical condition and the museumlike quality of its furnishings, almost all of them Victorian. Guided tours of the house and garden start on the hour and include a cup of tea and piece of lemon cake.

A few jagged stone walls are all that remain of Montréal's first general hospital. The ruins—which once formed the west wing and the transept of the chapel—have been preserved as a memorial to Canada's first native-born saint, Marguerite d'Youville (1701–71), who took over the hospital in 1747 and ran it until a fire destroyed the building in 1765. Ste-Marguerite's life was no walk in the park, as you'll find out if you visit the Maison de Mère d'Youville next door to the ruins. Marguerite started looking after the city's down-and-outers after the death of her abusive and disreputable husband. Amused that the widow of a whiskey trader should be helping the town drunks, locals took to calling Marguerite and her Soeurs de la Charité (Sisters of Charity) the Soeurs-Grises (Grey Nuns), slang for "tipsy nuns." The Maison has some remarkable reminders of her life, such as the kitchen where she worked, with its enormous fireplace and stone sink. Call ahead for tours of the house.  As of June 2025, the museum is still under renovation but the exterior is pretty.