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Free Things to Do in Montreal: Ten Free Montreal Attractions

Ideas and tips for budget conscience visitors to Montreal, Canada

budget Montreal travel guide

Jardin des Floralies - Île Notre-Dame - Montreal Floralies Garden sits on 25 acres amidst the retro-futuristic remnants of Expo 67’s Man and His World. Located on Ile Notre-Dame, in Parc Jean-Drapeau, this garden of over 100,000 annuals, and around 5,000 rose bushes, was designed by the three of the landscape artists who participated in the 1980 International Floralies fair. Jardins des Floralies is a breathtaking place to visit in the summer, and spring and makes an excellent free day in Montreal.

Redpath Museum - Located on the scenic McGill University campus, Redpath museum is an awesome and free place to visit. This natural history haven is one of Canada’s oldest free-standing museums, and boasts a brilliant collection in the fields of paleontology, zoology, minerology and ethnology. From Samurai armour, Egyptian mummies, a T-rex, and other interesting exhibits Redpath museum has plenty to see and learn about. With free tours, an excellent public programming guide all-year round, a great collection, and a beautiful location- Redpath museum is great place to visit.

Le Mont-Royal - Walking to the top of Mont-Royal near downtown Montreal is a beautiful experience. Planned by Central Park’s lead designer, Fredrick law Olmstead, and inaugurated in 1876, this is definitely one of the best places to visit in the city. With hidden footpaths, bike trails, and a major paved roadway leading up the mountain, it is a place that attracts visitors all year round. At the top are two chalets with food and snacks, as well as the viewing deck. It is a wonderful way to spend the day outdoors, weather permitting, and a must see.

Mont Royal Park - Mont Royal park is a great place to visit all-year round. With winter activities not limitied to inner tubing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, skating, Nordic kicksledding, pedal-boating and bird-watching this is an outdoor winter wonderland with plenty of fun to be had. In the summer, the park features outdoor beach volleyball courts, tennis courts, bike and running paths, and plenty of grass to enjoy the sun, reading, and playing frisbee, soccer, and football at no cost all. Mont Royal park should definitely be on your list of free things to do in Montreal.

The Montreal Museum of Fine Arts - Montreal, as “Canada’s cultural capital”, is bound by its nature to have awesome museums- and one of the best in Montreal is the Montreal Museum of Fine arts. With a collection of over thirty-three thousand objects, ranging from ancient historical artifacts to contemporary art- the MMFA collection is free to visit at all times.

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Tam-Tams - Sunday at the foot of Mont-Royal, for as long as the sun is out and weather is warm, is the home of something unique to Montreal. Hundreds of people come out to sell wares, participate in huge drum circles, and play hackee-sack and Frisbee. Its always on in the summer, its always free and its always fun. This is for a younger crowd though, mostly university and high school aged people. Tam-Tams is also the home of one of the most interesting events in Montreal: kids of all ages created foam weaponry and armor, and play fight on a football sized field in the middle of the park. Nothing too violent, but a lot of fun to go and see. For free entertainment and music on a quiet Sunday- Tam-Tams is the place to be.

Old Montreal - Walking around the old city, as its known, is classic Montreal activity for tourists and residents alike. With brick paved streets, little alleyways, and parts of the old fortified city left standing; the old city is a refreshing mixture of high-class eating and quality cafes in the setting of 1800s Montreal. Great bars and renowned restaurants line the streets, and old-Montreal is definitely a pedestrian dominated area. There is an abundance to do and visit, but if you don’t want to spend a penny, all you have to do is walk around and check out the amazing architecture and beautiful neighborhoods in the vestiges of Montreal’s colonial past, in the old city.

The Underground City - Montreal is a city of contrast, and the seasons certainly contribute to this phenomenon. The winter in Montreal is harsh, so unless you’re traveling from Siberia, it’s a place you’ll find cold. Luckily for those traveling to the city in winter, the underground city in Montreal is a great way to get around. With just over 33 kilometers connected underground, you can virtually stay below to get anywhere you want. Connecteing metro stations to underground malls, there is a plethora of shopping and eating to do in the city beneath the city, and it is definitely worth a tour when the cold outside is too much to handle.

Centre d'exposition La Prison-des-Patriotes - Housed in Montreal’s old prison, the exhibition of the Patriot Prison is a throwback to the days when Quebec was still known as Lower Canada, and the rebellions of the Patriots in 1837 and 1838, culminating in the burning of the Montreal Parliament in 1849. The museum is a walk back in time to prison conditions and life- and what many consider the motivations for the patriot rebellions. With outdoor and indoor tours, all year round and free admission, this museum is educational, interesting, and a lot of fun.

Hotel de Ville- City Hall - City hall is always a great place to visit for a historical and interesting account of the city. Montreal’s Hotel de-Ville’s (city hall in French) balconies were the platform from which Charles De Gaulle, former French president, gave his intigatory “Vive le Quebec libre” speech in 1967. Designated as a national historic site of Canada, Montreal’s city hall is a beautiful building with ornate interiors and a place enshrouded in Quebecois culture and Montreal’s history. With free guided tours, and open to the public year round, city hall is a sure bet, especially if you’re doing the tourist thing in Montreal.