What can you do with kids in Montreal?
We love kids, and we love taking walks to explore Montreal’s tree-lined streets with their old cobblestones.
You can do just about anything—or almost anything—with kids, but to keep them happy and avoid getting dirty looks from other adults, we’ve put together a list of our favorite activities to do with the kids.
This year marks the 150th anniversary of the little mountain in the middle of the island on which the city of Montreal is located—Mount Royal.
Of course, we didn’t create the mountain, but Mont-Royal as it stands today—with its trails, the staircase that really works your thighs, the chalet, Lac aux Castors for ice skating in the winter, and the lookout at the top with the most beautiful view of the city and the mountains beyond—was all designed by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted.
In the winter, you can go ice skating on Lac aux Castors, and in the summer, you can take a stroll under the tall trees. The walks are easy to do with kids, and it’s a chance to enjoy a bit of nature and breathe fresh air after a week in the city.
Rollerblading in the fall, ice skating in the winter—and there’s always music and lessons for kids. There’s a big bonfire in the winter and a disco in the fall.
*Rent inline skates, ice skates, helmets, and protective gear on-site with Patin Patin
To get a bird’s-eye view of Montreal, hop on the Old Port Ferris Wheel—at a height of 60 meters, in a lovely glass cabin heated in the winter, you can see the entire Old Port and the St. Lawrence River on the other side.
La Grande Roue de Montréal
La Grande Roue de Montréal
Montreal’s “skyline,” like that of other somewhat financial cities in North America, is recognizable to a certain extent. It’s made up of skyscrapers against a blue sky, and some have a slightly different shape from the others. It looks pretty on a postcard.
But when we think of Montreal’s distinctive architecture, we think of the Orange Julep. The fast-food restaurant, which looms above Décarie like a sort of sunset made of gleaming concrete, is a familiar and almost reassuring sight. And besides, it’s also one of the city’s iconic establishments—and a fixture in the collective memory of Montrealers. The Orange Julep’s namesake drink has that vaguely sickly-sweet taste of our childhood.
Today, the Orange Julep stands in the middle of a parking lot where you can park to eat a hot dog and fries and sip an Orange Julep while sitting on the hood of your car, watching the sun set.
VISITING THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS
Kids will love the colorful and interesting exhibits at the Museum of Fine Arts, which are clearly explained on the display panels for both kids and adults. Bonus points for the museum’s half-flat staircase, which is almost like a jungle gym when you’re under 1m20.
The Ulverton Wool Mill is the only one of its kind in Quebec, and it’s a wool mill housed in a former water mill. It was established in the mill in the 1840s, and the millwheel still turns, powered by the river’s current.
Of course, it’s designateda Heritage Building onQuebec’s cultural heritagelistbecause of its historical significance. The lower levels are built of hewn fieldstone, and the wooden interior is straight out of Arthur Miller’s*The Crucible*.
Plus, you can go meet the woolly sheep at the mill, take a stroll, and have some tea before heading back.
GO SEE A MOVIE AT THE CINÉMATHÈQUE QUÉBÉCOISE
The Cinémathèque Québécoise doesn’t just screen classic films; it also shows children’s movies and nostalgic videos, and hosts small exhibits for little movie buffs.
The sun is setting earlier and earlier, and for a stroll through a garden—even as the darkness of fall deepens—we head to FESTILUMI.
Almost all year round, you can take a stroll among the light displays that change with the holiday season.
Festilumi – Halloween
9 October 2026 20:00 + more dates
Marché Central
